


The Princess of the Sun Flower

by toad_in_the_road



Series: The Sundrop and the Royals of Power [1]
Category: Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (Cartoon), She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018), Tangled (2010)
Genre: AU, Alchemy, Alternate Universe, Angst, Bad Parent Gothel (Disney), Bisexual Rapunzel (Disney), Crossover, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Manipulation, Enemies to Lovers, Gen, Heir to the Dark Kingdom Eugene Fitzherbert | Flynn Rider, Hurt/Comfort, I blame tumblr for this one, It's the tangled characters in she ra, LGBTQ Character, Lesbian Cassandra (Disney: Tangled), Mommy Issues, Oh My God, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Rapunzel Has PTSD (Disney), Robots, Sundrop | Sundrop Flower (Disney), but we been knew, cassunzel, except not, gothel's talents in guilt tripping and manipulation plus shadow weaver's magic equals, im gay, so many mommy issues, there is not one straight character in this story and i think that is very cool, updates biweekly, you'll see - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-25
Updated: 2020-11-07
Packaged: 2021-03-08 02:00:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 70,683
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26647894
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/toad_in_the_road/pseuds/toad_in_the_road
Summary: Rapunzel has lived and trained with the Horde all her life, under the watchful eye of her adoptive mother Gothel, and her best friend Cassandra by her side. She knows her path. She knows her destiny.Until a fateful run-in with two enemies, a glowing flower, and a new hairstyle changes everything.
Relationships: Angry | Keira & Eugene Fitzherbert | Flynn Rider, Angry | Keira & Rapunzel & Red | Catalina (Disney), Angry | Keira & Rapunzel (Disney), Cassandra & Gothel (Disney: Tangled), Cassandra & Lance Strongbow, Cassandra & Rapunzel (Disney: Tangled), Cassandra/Rapunzel (Disney: Tangled), Edmund/Eugene Fitzherbert's Mother (Disney: Tangled), Eugene Fitzherbert | Flynn Rider & Pascal, Eugene Fitzherbert | Flynn Rider & Rapunzel, Eugene Fitzherbert | Flynn Rider & Varian, Gothel & Rapunzel (Disney), Hector & Rapunzel (Disney: Tangled), Mara & Razz (She-Ra), Maximus & Pascal & Rapunzel (Disney), Netossa/Spinnerella (She-Ra), Pascal & Rapunzel (Disney), Pascal & Varian (Disney), Rapunzel & Red | Catalina (Disney), Rapunzel & Varian (Disney), Ruddiger & Varian (Disney)
Series: The Sundrop and the Royals of Power [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1938835
Comments: 28
Kudos: 23





	1. The Flower (Part One)

**Author's Note:**

> ...here we are
> 
> oh my lord and i thought my magnus archives and she ra crossover was ambitious
> 
> well here we are! look i absolutely love new dream but like...Cassunzel, right? and i always feel so bad for eugene because he's so great and like i havent found a good cassunzel fic yet where he isnt left in the dust so here we go! guilt-free au with the added bonus of it being FUCKING SHE RA I MEAN HELL YEAH. we deserve more gay tangled shit
> 
> i had to change a few things, obviously, and i think i've changed enough where we can still have a bit of a mystery. a few character will stay the same as well, some because i couldn't find a good equivalent, some because i just want to see the authentic character interact with the tangled crew, and one is perfect just the way they are :)
> 
> updates will be every friday!

Rarely was there any real sun in the Fright Zone, and today was no exception, dark red clouds gathering outside the towering buildings like iron filling gathering across a magnet, a beacon for domination under the flag of the Horde, the wings and dot insignia displayed proudly. 

Rapunzel pushed her short dark hair back, relief flooding her when she realized she had made it to the training area with seconds to spare. Rogelio and Adira glanced at her sideways, irritation at her near lateness well hidden, but it re-emerged when they saw Kyle appear, goggles askew and faux armor on backwards.

Rapunzel glanced at the empty space. “Anyone seen Cass?” She hissed to Adira. The white haired woman frowned, and Rapunzel sighed deeply, disappointed but not surprised. “Not again.”

“Attention, cadets!” Rapunzel snapped to attention when she saw the blue reptilian Horde leader march in front of them, flipping through a data pad. “Your simulation is about to begin. Here’s your scenario.

He pressed a button, and the space in front of Rapunzel lit up with a black and white screen showing thick, dark woods. “You’ll be passing through the treacherous Whispering Woods to reach the heart of the rebel insurgency, Corona.”

Kyle gulped. “Your mission is to defeat the Queen,” The leader continued. “And liberate Corona in Lord Hector’s name.” The screen disappeared, and he turned to the cadets, scowling slightly.

“Where’s Cassandra?” He asked.

“She’ll be here,” Rapunzel said. “I promise.”

“Heard that one before.” Adira mumbled.

The leader huffed, but didn’t push the issue, going back to the data pad to set up the simulation. “The Whispering Woods is full of princesses and princes. Vicious, violent instigators. They will take you out if given the chance. Don’t give them that chance.” The leader stepped aside, and the bay door opened into the training arena.

Rapunzel rushed in, her goggles already turning her surrounding into a dark forest, shadows creeping and reaching at the edges of her vision. She looked up, and saw the ghoulish outline of a princess, teeth sharp and eyes malicious, crouching down on a fake tree branch, poised to pounce.

“Watch out!” She threw herself to the side when the robot controlling the illusion shot out a mostly harmless laser, shattering the momentary stillness as more princesses and princes emerged from the trees, hissing and laughing.

Rapunzel unclipped a stick grenade from her belt, tossing it at a princess. It hit, and with a loud BANG, the illusion disappeared. “This way!” She waved to the other three, and they took off through the forest together, dodging laser strikes with years of practiced ease. (Except Kyle, but he didn’t count)

The lasers came down harder, and Rapunzel raised the gauntlet on her arm to shield herself, acutely aware that Adira and Rogelio were still close behind. She paused when she emerged into a clearing, tensing for the next attack.

“Rapunzel!” Adira shouted, and Rapunzel stumbled back, realizing the floor was giving out under her. She fell back, and saw the clearing give way to a massive, evil-eyed princess-no, not a princess, a queen. Queen Angella. 

The false Queen Angella shrieked with laughter, reaching out her arms. A harsh laser blast shot at the group, and when it hit the ground, it fell away. Rapunzel threw herself away from the queen, desperately trying to come up with a plan. 

She drew the pent-up bow staff at her belt, and felt the familiar weight in her hands. She ran to the queen, vaulting herself up and onto the robot, and drove the sharp point of the staff into the center of the robot. It sputtered weakly, and then titled, collapsing to the ground.

Rapunzel threw herself off of the robot just as it exploded, and the force of it knocked her to the ground, dizzy. Through slightly blurry vision, she saw a familiar pair of boots walk across the training area floor casually, and examine the robot with a vague interest.

Cassandra smirked, and pushed the robot into the expanding hole in the ground.

Rapunzel scowled, sitting up to say something, but Cassandra grinned, pointing at the ground. Rapunzel glanced down, and saw that she was sitting in a red space.

The floor gave out, and she yelped, barely having time to wedge her bow staff between the spaces of the pit before she fell into the abyss. Cassandra peeked over the edge, smiling lazily.

“Hey Raps,” She said, voice tinged with mischief. “How’s it hanging?”

“Cassandra,” Rapunzel sighed. “Did you really show up late and let us do all the hard parts? That’s low, even for you.”

“Aw,” Cassandra laughed. “You know nothing’s too low for me. Come on,” She reached down, offering her hand. “You look stupid just hanging there.”

Rapunzel smiled, taking her friend’s hand as a voice over the PA congratulated them for the assassination of Queen Angella of Corona.

*** *** ***

“You should’ve seen your face,” Cassandra smiled in the locker room not much later. “You were all like ‘Ah, no! Betrayal!’” She snickered.

“Come on Cass,” Rapunzel said, hanging up the goggles. “We’re senior cadets now. We’re far too old for childish-” When Cassandra wasn’t looking, Rapunzel reached out and plucked the dagger from her belt. “Ah, you’re unarmed! I’d get you now.”

Cassandra scowled. “Hey, give it back!”

“I can’t believe you never notice me doing that.” Rapunzel snickered, dangling the dagger in front of Cassandra temptingly.

“I like to think I can trust you not to disarm me.” Cassandra grinned, taking back her weapon.

“Aw, you trust me?” Rapunzel laughed. 

Cassandra opened her mouth to give a snarky reply, but stiffened when the shadows seemed to move. “Rapunzel!”

Rapunzel startled, but only very slightly. “Ah, hello Mother.”

Gothel was smiling widely, but the lines at the edge of her eyes were slightly more pronounced than usual. “Dear,” She said brightly, pretending Cassandra wasn’t there. “You’ve done so well! You completed the course in record time.”

Her adoptive mother drew Rapunzel into a tight hug, lifting her off the ground ever so slightly. Rapunzel chuckled, glancing at Cassandra, who rolled her eyes. “Record time? I-I didn’t know, and it wasn’t just me, Cass did it too-”

“Ah, yes.” Gothel said, releasing Rapunzel. Her voice lost her saccharine praising tone as she looked at Cassandra. “How someone as unmotivated as you completed that course in that time, I’ll never know.”

“Always serving up those pep talks, huh?” Cassandra said.

“Do not be flippant with me, cadet.” Gothel's voice went hard, and the shadows that always seemed to trail her looked as though they moved slightly, a barely visible threat.

Cassandra didn’t flinch, but she did clench her jaw. “Sorry.” She said in a stiff voice.

“Don’t take everything so seriously,” Gothel said, smiling as though Cassandra was silly for her reaction. “Rapunzel, walk with me, darling.”

She set off, and Rapunzel started to follow, and then glanced back at Cassandra quickly. Cassandra shrugged stiffly, staring at the ground so Rapunzel couldn’t discern her expression. “Rapunzel!” Gothel called in a more insistent tone, and this time Rapunzel obeyed, following the witch down the barren metal halls.

“Lord Hector has been watching you,” Gothel said. “He thinks you are a fine candidate for Force Captain.”

“Really?!” Rapunzel asked excitedly. “Force Captain?! Lord Hector said that about me?!”

“He sees great promise in you,” Gothel said. “In fact, he has elected you the honor of leading a squadron in the invasion of the rebel fortress of Pincosta.”

“Pincosta?!” Rapunzel stopped in her tracks, excitement bubbling up in her chest. “You...you mean we’re finally seeing active duty?!”

“Don’t squeal, it’s unprofessional,” Gothel scolded, and then laughed when Rapunzel’s face fell. “Oh, only teasing, you take everything so seriously! And _you_ are seeing active duty.” She clarified.

“But…” Rapunzel paused. “I’ll be able to bring my team along, right?”

“Your team isn’t ready. They’ll only slow you down.” Gothel said. 

Rapunzel frowned, and then steeled herself. “Mother, please. They’ve been training for this too. And Cassandra, all she wants is to prove herself.”

“Then she should have worked harder to prove herself to me.” Gothel snapped. 

Rapunzel winced, and Gothel sighed, stepping close and taking her shoulders gently. “This is what I’ve raised you for, Rapunzel,” She said softly, pushing a lock of Rapunzel’s short brown hair aside. “Now is the chance to prove yourself.”

She withdrew a small yellow badge with the Horde insignia on it. A Force Captain badge. A rung up on the ladder. Rapunzel could feel her eyes go wide at the sight of it, and she carefully reached out, half worried that Mother would yank it away and laugh at the joke. When she didn’t Rapunzel took the badge, smiling.

“I saw talent in you the moment I took you in as an orphan child,” Gothel said, touching Rapunzel’s cheek gently. “This is what you have wanted since you were old enough to want.”

She turned, looking out the window over the seemingly endless Fright Zone, a satisfied smile on her face. Rapunzel followed her gaze, an emotion she couldn’t quite identify twisting in her stomach.

“Yes.” Rapunzel said anyway.

Gothel smiled. “With you at the forefront, we will crush the Corona rebellion.”

She put her arm around Rapunzel, pulling her in close.

“Once and for all,” She smiled at Rapunzel sweetly. “I know you won’t disappoint me.”

*** *** ***

“Send him in.”

Eugene bit his lip at the sound of his mother’s clipped, professional tone, and he wondered vaguely if he should just duck out.

Instead, he took a breath, forcing himself to march into the throne room, Angella looking at him with an exasperated expression. She always seemed to have it on whenever she looked at him these days. He bowed. “Your Majesty.” He said.

“I’m told you disobeyed orders and led the Rebellion into a dangerous combat situation after you were ordered to retreat.” Angella said, straight to the point as always.

Eugene put his hands behind his back so Angella didn’t see him clench his fists. “I was trying to protect a village from falling into the Horde’s grasp.”

“You were reckless,” Angella corrected. “And put yourself and the other rebels in danger.”

“Fighting is supposed to be dangerous.” Eugene grumbled, aware he now looked like a sulking child. He met Angella’s eyes. “How are we supposed to hold our own against the horde if we keep retreating? Pretty soon we won’t have anything left to defend!”

Angella stood up, her dark hair swaying slightly, golden cape trailing behind her. “I’m growing tired of your back-talking, Commander Eugene.”

“Why did you even make me a commander if you won’t let me fight?” Eugene asked, getting snappy.

“That’s enough!” Angella said. “You’re grounded!”

One of the guards snickered, and Eugene felt his face grow hot. “Mom!” He protested.

“You heard me.” Angella said. 

“You never let me do anything!”

“We’re not having this discussion tonight. You are embarrassing me in front of my royal court!”

“Oh, I’m embarrassing you?!”

“Go to your room!”

“I’m going!” Eugene turned, marching off quickly, but not quickly enough to see the guards badly concealing a smile.

It was a bad day to be the Crown Prince of Corona.

*** *** ***

Rapunzel stood on a metal catwalk, leaning forward slightly in the acrid smelling breeze, staring at her badge. After a moment of unexpected indecision, she pinned the badge to her purple jacket, smiling. “Captain Rapunzel.” She said quietly, testing the title. It sounded...she didn’t know how it sounded.

“What’d she say?!” Rapunzel jumped when Cassandra emerged behind her. The dark-haired woman immediately caught sight of the badge, and her eyes widened. “Hey, what’s that?”

“I-” Rapunzel started, but Cassandra laughed.

“No way. You’ve been promoted?” She asked.

“Well…” Rapunzel shuffled, smiling slightly. “Kind of. I mean, yeah, I guess. Heh. But it’s not a big deal!”

“Are you kidding?!” Cassandra asked. “This is awesome! We’re gonna see the world and conquer it. Rapunzel, I wanna go stab something.” She drew her dagger, fighting off an invisible enemy. She paused when she saw Rapunzel’s expression. “What?”

“Mother…” Rapunzel bit her lip. “My mother says you're not coming.”

“What?!” Cassandra looked furious. “My time was just as good as yours today! What’s her problem with me?!”

“I mean…” Rapunzel coughed. “You are kind of disrespectful.”

“Don’t take her side! Why should I respect her?!” Cassandra paced, looking angry. “She’s just bitter that she doesn’t have any real power that comes from Hector and everyone knows it.” She stopped suddenly, turning around to face Rapunzel. Her eyes were slightly spiteful. “I guess it’s easy being a people pleaser like you.”

“I am not-” Rapunzel started, but Cassandra was already marching off. “Cass, wait!”

Cassandra was more acrobatic than Rapunzel, thus by the time Rapunzel reached her at the top of the metal spire, Cassandra had been stewing in her own fury for quite some time. Rapunzel approached her slowly, unsure what to do. “Look…” She said, taking it as a good sign when Cassandra didn’t immediately leave. “I’m sorry. I didn’t even think you wanted to be Force Captain.”

“I don’t.” Cassandra said immediately, voice hard and defensive.

“Come on, Cass,” Rapunzel said. “This is what I’ve been working for. My life is finally beginning, and I was hoping you would be, you know, happy for me.”

“Whatever,” Cassandra said, a bit the hard edge had died away very slightly. “It’s not like I care anyway. I just wanna get out of this dump before I die of boredom.” She sighed, looking out over the endless stretch of twisting and rusting metal. “Wonder what’s even outside the Fright Zone anyway.”

Rapunzel smiled, suddenly realizing exactly what Cassandra needed to cheer herself up. A little light mischief and chaos.

“Wanna find out?” Rapunzel asked, and Cassandra smiled.

*** *** ***

“I take it back,” Cassandra said, her black hair blown back wildly in the wind. “You’re officially awesome! I can’t believe you actually stole a skiff.”

“We didn’t steal!” Rapunzel said immediately, struggling slightly to steer the hovering skiff. The steering handle was heavier than she had imagined, and it balked dangerously on sharp turns. “We’re just borrowing!”

“Without permission! That’s discount stealing, Raps.” Cassandra laughed. 

“Don’t make me regret this.” Rapunzel said.

“Here, let me try,” Cassandra said, grabbing the steering handle. “I’ve always wanted to try one of these things.”

“Hey, save us enough fuel to get back!” Rapunzel said.

“That,” Cassandra said grandly. “Is a problem for future Raps and Cassandra.” She yanked the handle, but overestimated her strength, and the skiff spun wildly, kicking up dust and grit. 

“Cass!” Rapunzel shouted, irritated, but the irritation turned to fear when she saw them rapidly coming up on a thick forest. “LOOK OUT!”

Cassandra yanked back on the handle, only just managing to pull the skiff into a slow crawl before they crashed into a tree. “What is this place?” Cassandra asked.

“I…” Rapunzel gulped. “I think it’s the Whispering Woods.”

“They say there are strange old monsters here, and the trees move when you’re not looking.” Catra said in an overdramatic, spooky voice. 

Rapunzel scowled. “Every Horde squadron they’ve sent in here has never come back.”

Cassandra sobered up, frowning, and then smiled. “Let’s go in.”

“No-” Rapunzel said, but it was too late. Cassandra pulled on the handle, fueled by little else other than a deep desire to prove her own prowess, and the skiff shot forward. 

For her credit, she did well steering the skiff through the thick woods, weaving and bobbing between the tree trunks like a cat pursuing her prey, though Rapunzel had no idea what she saw behind the leaves and vines.

“Tree tree tree!” Rapunzel warned, grabbing the handle and yanking it straight up to avoid a massive tree that blocked their path entirely. The skiff went straight up and shuddered, and Rapunzel stumbled back.

“Rapunzel!” Cassandra shouted, trying to grab her, but it was too late. For the second time that day, Rapunzel fell, unable to see her destination. Only this time, she didn’t have a staff to save her.

*** *** ***

Rapunzel blinked her eyes open in a thick undergrowth, feeling nauseous. Her head pounded. “Cassandra?” She asked, but got no answer.

She sat up, wincing slightly, relieved to find she didn’t seem to have any serious injuries. Just a headache.

Something sparkled with gentle light in front of her, and she froze.

A small, golden flower peeked out of the ground, exposed by a thin patch of sunlight, blooming with defiance. It swayed slightly in the sweet-smelling breeze, beckoning Rapunzel closer.

And closer she came, cautiously, filled with awe. “Cool.” She whispered to herself. She reached out, her fingertips just brushing the petals-

_”Balance must be restored.”_

_A planet in a starless sky, and a stony mountain peeked over the edge of the horizon, proud and stoic. A tiny blue stone suspended in the air, humming softly with a power she didn’t quite understand._

_“Etheria must seek a hero.”_

_The flower, glowing brightly with even more power. A glass temple, nature trying to eat it away but not quite succeeding._

_A woman, her face obscured, hair unnaturally long and golden stood at a cliffside, staring at something. Her hair glowed with the same brightness as the flower. A baby crying, distant and desperate. The woman turned, eyes shining with power._

_Another woman, angular and blue, eyes nearly empty and mechanical, but not quite._

_“Rapunzel, Rapunzel.”_

“Raps?!” Rapunzel blinked her eyes open, seeing Cassandra leaning over her, looking worried. “Rapunzel!”

“Cass?” Rapunzel asked, sitting up. “What happened?” Her hand unconsciously went to her hair, half expecting to find it long and blonde. But it was the same as always; dark and short, edges split slightly. 

“You fell out of the skiff after you drove it into a tree.” Cassandra said.

Rapunzel scowled. “No, you drove it into a tree.”

“Up for debate,” Cassandra shrugged, helping Rapunzel up. “Let’s go.”

“Wait,” Rapunzel said, looking around. “Where is it?”

“What?” Cassandra asked.

“The flower, there was this big, golden flower. It...it glowed!” Rapunzel said.

“Are you brain damaged?” Cassandra asked. “Don’t be brain damaged, I’ll get in so much trouble.”

“I’m not brain damaged!” Rapunzel said, feeling frustrated. “It was here, I saw it!”

“Well, nothing’s here now,” Cassandra shrugged. “So come on, let’s go.”

Rapunzel pursed her lips, but followed Cassandra anyway, climbing onto the skiff, looking back as if expecting to see it again, tempting her with a warm glow once again. 

But all she saw was dark woods. 

*** *** ***

Eugene would never admit it, but he shrieked when an arrow pierced the wall inches above his head.

A note unfurled itself from the arrow. ‘Look outside!’ it prompted him with a big smiley face.

Eugene sighed, yanking the arrow out of the wall and sticking his head out the window, spotting the telltale tiny figure. “Watch it! You almost hit me!”

Pascal grinned from the edge of the forest and across the castle moat, waving, his big brown eyes and leafy green poncho making him stand out. He pulled his hood down, and his unkempt hair frizzed slightly. “Hey Eugene!” He shouted.

“Sh!” Eugene hissed, glancing back. He didn’t want to get in more trouble. “Pascal, what are you doing here?!”

“What’d you say?” Pascal called, louder than ever. “Come down here!”

“I can’t, I’m grounded.” Eugene said.

Pascal cupped his hands around his mouth. “What?!”

“I’m grounded!” Eugene hissed.

Pascal blinked. “WHAT?!”

Eugene sighed, and in a flash of light and a tiny pop, he was right next to Pascal. “I’m grounded!”

Pascal yelped in surprise, but it was cut off when Pascal teleported again, this time bringing Pascal back into his room. He groaned. “I’m so mad at my mom!”

“Is this about the siege on Old Corona?” Pascal asked. 

“I was just trying to defend another one of our villages from falling into the Horde’s clutches!” Eugene said, pacing. He sat on a bench, scowling. “She stationed me all the way out there because it’s too remote to ever get attacked, but then it did, and it was my one chance to prove I can do this. But she acts like I can’t do anything just because I’m a prince!” He flashed again, ending up on his high set bed.

“That doesn’t make sense,” Pascal said. “Everyone here is a prince or princess or whatever. I’m like, the only one who’s not.”

“Tell that to my mom.” Eugene groaned.

“Your mom might have a point,” Pascal said. “Only reason you got out of there was your teleportation powers, and let’s face it, those don’t always work.”

“Not true, I can also fight!” Eugene said.

“Eh…” Pascal looked unsure.

“I’m looking for support here!”

“I’m just saying, if you wanna prove yourself, it’s gonna take more than recklessly running into battle,” Pascal shrugged, and then grinned. “Luckily, I’ve got just the thing. Check this out.”

Eugene leaned over the side of the bed, glancing at Pascal. He was smiling, holding a rather beat up looking data pad, similar to what Horde soldiers used. He held it out proudly. “I detected a piece of First Ones tech in the Whispering Woods. A pretty powerful one too, by the size of those readings. If you find this and bring it back, your mom is bound to be impressed.”

“Did you forget I’m grounded?” Eugene asked.

There was a crisp knock at the door. “Eugene? Are you in there?”

“Uh…” Eugene said, glancing at Pascal. He teleported down to Pascal, teleporting him back across the moat, and then back to his room. He stumbled slightly from the fast succession of power, but he shook it off. 

“Eugene!” Angella called again. 

“Everything’s fine, Mom.” Eugene said, not opening the door.

“Is someone else in there?” Angella asked. “I hear voices.”

This time Eugene cracked the door open slightly. “No one else is in here, can you leave me alone?”

“I don’t appreciate your tone right now, young man.” Angella said sternly.

Pascal fiddled with the data pad, only half listening to the echoing argument. It was the same thing, the same fight for understanding and agreement, except each time the words and catalyst for the argument changed slightly. 

After a minute or two, he heard the door slam, and Eugene appeared next to him in a quick flash of light, scowling.

“I’m in.”

*** *** ***

_”Rapunzel.”_

_The flower, bigger and brighter than ever._

_“Rapunzel.”_

Rapunzel jerked awake, slightly panicked by the darkness of the barracks for a moment before she heard Cassandra’s familiar breathing in the bunk above her. She sighed to herself, rubbing her eyes. She was jittery, unable to sit still or sleep. 

She had to find out. There was a flower, she couldn’t have imagined it. And she had to know about it.

Rapunzel slipped out of her bed, sneaking down the halls. She grabbed her jacket and belt, making her way to the exit.

“Where are you going?” Rapunzel didn’t even turn at Cassandra’s voice, not surprised her friend had followed.

“Back to the woods.” Rapunzel said. No use in lying. “There’s...something I need to figure out.”

“What? You’re not-” Rapunzel cut off Cassandra’s argument, covering her mouth and yanking her around a corner when a patrol robot buzzed by. 

Cassandra shook Rapunzel off. “What’s wrong with you? You’ve been acting weird since we got back. You sure you’re not brain damaged?”

“Look, Cass, I know I saw something out there,” Rapunzel insisted. “I just need to get another look. It feels important. Somehow.”

“Sounds fair,” Cassandra amended. “Let’s go.”

“No,” Rapunzel said, stepping in front of Cassandra. “I don’t want you getting in trouble on my behalf. Just...cover for me, okay? I’ll be back before anyone knows I’m gone.” 

Cassandra scowled, but Rapunzel was already running.

“Raps! Raps! Rapunzel!”

*** *** ***

Eugene ducked under a tree, waiting for Pascal to weave his way through the shrubbery, too busy focusing on the tablet to see the forest in front of him. He shook the pad, looking frustrated.

“We’re not lost, right?” Eugene asked. 

“No, this thing is acting up.” Pascal said. He squinted. “Looks like it’s being overloaded by the tech’s signal. We must be getting close!” 

Eugene scowled, and then froze when he saw a bright golden glow, the source hidden by thick bushes. “Uh, I think it’s this way.”

“What makes you say-oh. Yeah, you’re probably right.” Pascal said, following him through the woods. 

*** *** ***

“What are you doing out here, Rapunzel?” Rapunzel grumbled to herself, slapping away thick leaves. “Cass is right, this is crazy. There’s no flower, you just got hit a little too hard on the head. You go home and forget all of this.”

She sighed, leaning against the tree, but paused when she saw a deep gouge in the bark. A gouge from a skiff. She glanced forward, and saw a soft, golden glow, obscured by bushes. 

Carefully, she crept forward, pushing the bushes aside. The flower still bloomed, bigger than ever, proud and grand. Rapunzel stepped forward, amazed.

“Pascal, just let me lead the way, okay?” A voice from the forest came, and Rapunzel stiffened.

“The light came from the edge of the forest.” A new voice said.

“Yes, we saw the light! It’s this way.” The first voice said.

“The tracker pad says otherwise.” The second argued.

“It’s this way-” Two men emerged from the brush and gasped when they saw Rapunzel and the flower. One was tall-ish with dark hair and a goatee, a sun insignia on his shoulder. The other was far shorter, had big dark eyes and was gripping some sort of data pad. He had a bow strapped to his bag and a quiver full of arrows.

_The sun insignia. Corona._

For a second, there was absolute stillness.

“Horde soldier!” The sun insignia-ed man shouted.

“I see her!” The other yelped, stumbling with the data pad. 

Rapunzel made a break for the flower, unsure how it was going to help her. There was a flash of light in front of it, and the sun man was there, reaching for the flower. Evidently he had some kind of teleportation power. He grabbed the flower and flashed a few feet away.

“Hey!” Rapunzel said, springing at him.

“Pascal, catch!” The sun man threw the still glowing flower to the other man-Pascal-who fumbled with it.

“Give me the flower!” Rapunzel demanded, but the sun man tackled her. Rapunzel flung him off easily, rushing to Pascal. She grabbed a bola from her belt, tossing it at Pascal. He tried to dodge, but he wasn’t fast enough. The net tangled his legs together, and he fell, dropping the flower a few feet away.

“Stand down!” Rapunzel commanded. “I don’t want to hurt you!”

The other man appeared in a flash of light, blocking Rapunzel’s way. “Since when do Horde soldiers not want to hurt anyone?!” He demanded angrily. He waved his fist as if throwing something to the ground, and a bright flash of light made Rapunzel stumble backwards, though she recovered quickly enough to tackle the man again before he could grab the flower. He yelped.

Pascal had freed himself, and he joined the pile, each of them trying to untangle from each other so they could grab the flower in a bizarre game of keep away, despite none of them knowing what the flower even did. Rapunzel strained, the tips of her fingers only just brushing the petals-

There was a bright flash and a surge of energy that threw all three back-

Rapunzel was in a dark room, little bits of light floating around her like insects. “What…?!” She gasped, slightly panicked.

The room was crystalline, covered in a softly pulsing writing that she could just barely make out. “Hello, Rapunzel.” A droning voice said.

Rapunzel scrambled to her feet, seeing the same angular blue woman from before, regarding her with an oddly empty expression. “Who are you?!” Rapunzel asked, backing away. “What’s going on?!”

“My name is Light Hope,” The woman said. “I have been waiting a long time for you. But I could not reach you until you forged a connection with the flower.”

“You sent the flower?” Rapunzel asked.

“The flower was meant for you,” Light Hope corrected. “Etheria has need of you, Rapunzel. Will you answer it’s call? Will you fight for the honor of Der Sonne?”

“What are you talking about?!” Rapunzel asked. “What...what’s Der Sonne? You’re not making any sense, I don’t understand!”

White light began to grow behind Light Hope, swallowing her up. “You will.” She said, her calm expression never faltering.

“Wait!” Rapunzel said, but the white light grew bright and she closed her eyes for fear of blindness-

-she blinked her eyes open, back in the forest, handcuffed. “She’s awake!” Pascal said.

“What happened?” Rapunzel asked.

“Quiet, Horde Spy!” The other man said, gripping the flower tightly. “I ask the questions. How did you make it this far into the Whispering Woods?”

“I just…” Rapunzel gestured vaguely. “Walked in. And I’m not a spy.”

“Sure, sure,” The man said, scowling. “You just so happened to find yourself in the Whispering Woods...like you just so happened to try and steal our flower!” He waved the flower for emphasis. 

“It’s not yours,” Rapunzel snapped. “I found it first.”

“The Whispering Woods is under the Rebellion’s protection,” The man said. “So that makes it ours. You were lucky to make it as far as you did. Come on, Pascal,” He glanced at his friend, who looked unsure. “Let’s get this spy back to Corona where we can interrogate her properly.”

He dragged Pascal to the side, no doubt discussing grisly torture scenarios to use on her.

*** *** ***

“This is perfect!” Eugene said, barely able to keep his voice a whisper. “Not only do we have...this-” He glanced at the glowing flower. “-for the Rebellion, we’ve also captured a Horde spy! My mom is gonna be so impressed!”

He snapped to the girl, who was still looking sulky. “Now come on!” Eugene barked. “On your feet!”

The girl scowled, but stood, following the two through the woods, refusing to speak to them. Eugene paused, glancing around, and then nodded to himself, choosing a path. “You’re...positive we’re going the right way, Eugene?” Pascal asked.

“I know what I’m doing, Pascal,” Eugene said. “Can you please just trust me?”

“You know I trust you, but I’m starting to get a little freaked out,” Pascal glanced around. “I mean, I pretty much grew up in these woods, and I’ve never seen this part of them. I’ve…” He paused, and lowered his voice. “I’ve heard stories of weird stuff out here.”

“It’s fine, okay?” Eugene grabbed the data pad, shaking it. “Just let me figure this thing out. I got this.” He disappeared in a flash of light.

“Okay! Touchy.” Pascal said. He glanced at the girl. “Sorry about him. Usually he’s really nice.”

The girl didn’t respond. She didn’t even look up. “Not much for talking, huh?” Pascal said.

“I try not to make small talk with captors. Make things complicated.” She snapped. 

“Suit yourself.” Pascal shrugged. 

“Ugh!” Eugene shook the pad, blinking in and out around the area, trying to find a better signal. He seemed to be having little luck.

The girl watched him with suspicion, and then leaned towards Pascal. “You know he’s a prince, right?” She whispered. “How can you follow him? Royals are a dangerous threat to everyone on Etheria.”

Eugene stumbled over a root and kicked it in exasperation. “Very threatening,” Pascal said dryly, and then paused when the implications sunk in. “Is that what Hector told you?”

“I…” The girl, paused, suddenly looking unsure. “I thought it was just common knowledge. They’re violent instigators who don’t even know how to control their powers.”

“You’ve...never actually met a royal, have you?” Pascal said slowly.

“W-well,” The girl stuttered. “Maybe not in person-”

There was a shout, and Pascal abandoned the conversation, rushing forward to Eugene, worst case scenarios flooding his mind. The girl followed, thankfully, just as curious to see what caused the reaction.

Eugene stood in front of a smoking ruin, hand at his mouth in shock. It was a village, a home at some point. Even now, Pascal could see colorful artistry on the houses, murals of happier times. But now the village was a husk, still giving off dark smoke from an attack, debris scattered uselessly, some of it charred beyond repair, but some of it chillingly recognizable. Pascal picked out a ripped cookbook, a singed dress, and a broken wood flute.

He decided to stop looking when he saw a mangled child’s toy, the stuffing ripped out as though it had been deliberate.

“What happened here?” The girl asked, staring at the monument to war in open horror.

“Don’t play dumb with me,” Eugene snapped, voice hard. “I bet you were part of the raiding party that did this.”

“What are you talking about?!” She asked. “The Horde didn’t do this!”

Eugene turned, expression fiery, grabbing her arm and yanking her into the ruins, searching for something. His eyes fell on a broken robot, and he shoved her towards it. “There.” He said dryly, and the girl’s expression twisted oddly when she saw the bright crimson Horde insignia on the robot.

“You’re a heartless destroyer,” Eugene said quietly. “Just like the rest of your people.”

“I am not a destroyer!” The girl argued. “Hector says we’re doing what’s best for Etheria! We’re trying to make things better! More orderly!”

“This is what’s best for Etheria?!” Eugene demanded, gesturing to the destruction around him. “Ever since the Horde got here, they’ve been poisoning our land, burning our cities, destroying everything in their path. And you’re a part of it! How’s that for orderly?!”

Eugene turned and started marching off before the girl could reply. She didn’t attempt too, her expression confused and upset. “This...doesn’t make any sense,” She said quietly. “The Horde would never do something like this.”

“Did you really not know any of this?” Pascal asked. “I mean...your army is called the Evil Horde.”

“It’s just the Horde!” The girl protested.

“Maybe to you.” Pascal said, and the girl frowned.

“The Horde rescued me when I was a baby and gave me a home,” She said. “They’re my family, you don’t...you don’t know them like I do.”

“Maybe you don’t know them like you think you do.” Pascal said.

There was another shout, and Eugene teleported back, looking startled. “There’s something out there, something big!”

“How big?!” Pascal asked.

The ground rumbled, throwing the group. The earth split, and with an angry hiss, a monster with fangs, empty green eyes, and spindly legs emerged from the ground, fixing on the three with bad intent.

“So pretty big then.” Pascal said.

*** *** ***

The monster hissed, and Rapunzel rolled out of the way, barely avoiding being skewered by a leg. It turned to Eugene, and he blinked out of it’s way and onto a tree branch. He jumped onto the beast, and it stumbled back when he created a huge flash of light. 

Eugene jumped down, looking satisfied, but the satisfaction quickly died when the beast just charged with more gusto, scattering the group. Rapunzel jerked back, and her leg got trapped in a crack in the earth. The creature turned to her, and she frantically tried to free herself with no success. 

An arrow shot out from behind her, courtesy of Pascal. It hit the creature in the mouth, spreading some kind of thick green goo over it’s jaws. It wailed, muted, shaking its head in an attempt to free itself. 

Eugene charged with a shout, throwing ball after ball of flashing light, but they seemed weaker, and the creature hissed, freeing its mouth and tossing Eugene aside in one move. Pascal shot another arrow, this time a lasso in an attempt to wrangle the creature, but he was no match for it’s brute strength, and it threw him forward and on top of Eugene.

Rapunzel managed to free herself, seeing the flower was now discarded, still glowing. She started toward it, and then paused, seeing Pascal and Eugene cornered by the angry monster. 

The flower pulsed slightly.

“Hey, bug brain!” Rapunzel shouting, instantly regretting herself the moment the monster turned to her. Eugene and Pascal looked just as surprised.

“Ah-” She held the flower up like a shield, feeling silly, still handcuffed. “Come on, magic flower, where’s a blinding flash of light when you need one-oh!” She nearly dropped the flower, and the monster approached, hissing in what seemed like mocking laughter.

The monster lifted its leg to crush her, and Rapunzel held up the flower in desperation. The monster’s leg touched the flower, and it flashed, and everything seemed to freeze-

_A plant in a starless sky. A bright castle lit up by sunbeams. A meteor of some kind crashing into a dusty red desert. A glass palace._

_“Rapunzel.”_

_A swirling void in an empty field, pulling everything in. A woman with unnaturally long blonde hair, arms out and receiving of light._

_“Will you fight for the honor of Der Sonne?”_

And somehow, in some way, like a long buried instinct that had burst from her in a breach of glory, Rapunzel knew what to do.

“For the honor of Der Sonne!”


	2. The Flower (Part Two)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so i lied, we're doing updates wednesdays and saturdays
> 
> also, i had a few retcons from the last chapter. nothing too major, just some things to make the story make more logical sense and be more unique. i shouldnt be too big, but if you have any questions, feel free to ask me!

Eugene really didn’t know how to react.

A few things had changed about their Horde prisoner. She had freed herself from her handcuffs somehow, and was gripping the flower tightly. The beast stepped back from her, seemingly just as fascinated, relaxing slightly. Her eyes glowed with a kind of fire filled with power and determination. She looked a lot taller too, and her entire body was tinged in a golden light.

Most jarringly, her hair was now blonde and long, insanely long, stretching out across the clearing endlessly, glowing with the same ferocity as the noon day sun.

“Eugene?” Pascal said, voice small. 

“Yeah, I see her, Pascal.” Eugene said, unable to tear his eyes away.

“Okay…” Pascal said. “Just wanted to make sure it wasn’t just me.”

She stood, facing the beast, her hair curling and uncurling like a separate being. For a moment, the world stopped, focused entirely on the second sun.

Then she blinked, looked at her hair, and shrieked in alarm. 

The flower dropped from her hand, and the light died. Her hair was short and brown again, but she reached up, tugging it as if expecting to pull out a blonde strand by force. 

Eugene moved first, teleporting to grab the flower. The girl sprung at it, and they tussled over it. “Stay where you are!” Eugene shouted.

“What did you do to me?!” The girl demanded, sounding panicked.

“What do you mean what did _I_ do to you?!” Eugene asked. 

“I didn’t know being royal was contagious!” The girl said shrilly.

“Okay!” Pascal said, jumping between the two of him, but he didn’t exactly seem like the most stable out of them. “Okay, everyone just calm down!” He glanced at Rapunzel. “Wanna tell us how you did that?!”

“I didn’t do anything!” The girl said, still trying to pull the flower away. “All I did was pick up the flower and woosh, I’m blonde!”

“I don’t care how she did it!” Eugene said. “We just have to make sure she never does it again!”

As if breaking a spell, the beast hissed, raising itself to its full height. It charged, and they scattered once again, Pascal and Eugene taking shelter in a tree root cavity, the girl darting off. The beast slammed its head against the tree, and it shuddered dangerously.

The beast backed up, preparing to ram the tree again, and Pascal yelped, grabbing the flower and running to the girl, offering it. “Do it again, do it again!”

“Pascal!” Eugene shouted, blinking out of the way just before the creature trampled him. He felt dizzy.

“Do what you did before!” Pascal said, shoving the flower into the girl’s hand. 

“I don’t know what I did before!” The girl said.

“No time, we have to go!” Eugene said, pushing the two, and they took off into the forest, trying to ignore the crashing beast that was rapidly closing the distance.

The girl came to a sudden stop, and Eugene saw why when he slammed into her, sending all three of them tumbling painfully over a rocky hillside. “Ow.” Eugene muttered, biting back a slew of curses that were not very prince-like.

The girl winced, and then paused, realizing they had fallen to a stone bottom, old and decrepit ruins surrounding them. “What is this place?” She asked.

There was a roar, and the creature peered down at them. “No idea, but it’s gotta be better than out here!” Pascal said, hauling the two to their feet and sprinting to the ruins. 

Pascal slammed into the door, but it refused to budge. The creature hissed. “Everyone hang on, I can get us in there!” Eugene said. 

“Eugene, no! You’ve never teleported three people before!” Pascal said.

“If you have a better idea, tell me now!” Eugene snapped.

“What’s written on the door?” The girl asked. “It looks like some kind of password.”

“You can read that?” Pascal asked.

The girl blinked. “You can’t?”

The creature drew closer, hot saliva dripping from its fangs. “What’s it say?!” Pascal asked.

“Uh, ‘Eternia’!” The girl shouted. The door lit up, light spreading through the cracks, and it opened.

“Oh come on!” Eugene snapped.

It was pitch black, but they rushed inside anyway, The creature wailed, but the door closed just as it was about to reach out, cutting off it’s scream.

Eugene stretched his hand out, summoning a dim ball of light. The room was big, with the fixtures reminding him of crystals, but they were too symmetrical to be naturally formed.

“So, Horde soldier,” Pascal said. “Have you always been able to read First Ones writing?”

“Wanna tell us exactly what is going on here?” Eugene asked.

“I told you I don’t know,” The girl snapped. “I just read the word on the door.”

“Right…” Eugene scoffed. “You just read a word in a language no one’s been able to speak for a thousand years, and the door just opened into a mysterious ruin. Sure.”

“You think I did this on purpose?!” The girl stood up suddenly, and Eugene stepped back. “You think I want to be a princess?! You’re all monsters!”

“Monsters?!” Eugene repeated. “You’re the monster!”

“Woah, woah, woah!” Pascal, ever the peacekeeper, stepped between the two. “Eugene, she did save us.”

“I don’t care!” Eugene snapped. “We can’t trust her, Pascal! Have you forgotten everything the Horde’s done to us?! The people we’ve lost…” Eugene’s emotions bubbled dangerously close to the surface, and he took a shaky breath to calm himself. “We need to find a way out of here and get her back to Corona soon as possible. My mother will know what to do with her.”

He strode past the two, dragging the light with him so they would be forced to follow. 

He couldn’t lose sight of his mission.

“Hey, so, thanks for saving us from that thing back there when you could have gotten away.” Pascal said to the girl, though Eugene would much rather he didn’t.

“Okay, well,” The girl said quickly. “I didn’t save you. I just wanted to get the flower, okay?”

“Are you sure it’s not because you secretly like us?” Pascal grinned.

“Wh-no, I don’t like you. You’re my captors.” The girl scowled. She set off after Eugene, not wanting to fall far from the light.

“Sure…” Pascal said. “Thanks anyway. I’m Pascal, by the way.”

The girl paused for a moment. “...Rapunzel.” She said softly.

“Rapunzel. Ah. Weird name for a Horde soldier.” Pascal mused.

Rapunzel blinked. “Is it?”

Eugene glanced back, and decided they were far enough away for him to test a theory. He glanced down at the flower. “For the honor of Der Sonne.” He whispered.

Nothing happened.

“What are we doing?” Pascal asked.

“Nothing!” Eugene said too quickly. “I mean...look at these carvings! Must be a First Ones ruin.” He gestured to the unintelligible writing covering the wall. 

“What’s a First One?” Rapunzel asked.

“You’ve never heard of the First Ones?” Eugene asked.

“The First Ones were the original settlers of Etheria,” Pascal said. “They disappeared a thousand years ago, but they left behind a lot of old technology and ruins. Like this one.”

“What happened to them?” Rapunzel asked. 

“No one knows,” Pascal shrugged. “They just vanished. The Horde didn’t tell you about them?”

“Seems like there’s a lot the Horde didn’t tell me.” Rapunzel said.

Eugene groaned. “How do we get out of here?!”

Pascal sighed. “It’ll take forever to find an exit at this rate. Oh, hey,” He turned to Rapunzel. “Wanna turn on some lights, Rapunzel?”

“I dunno how to do that.” Rapunzel said.

“Maybe there’s a magic word,” Pascal said. “What’s the First Ones word for lights?”

“I don’t know, I’m not magic.” Rapunzel said dully.

“Obviously.” Eugene muttered. He handed the flower to Pascal. “Everyone, stand back.” He took the ball of light back into his hands.

“Uh, Eugene, maybe you should take it easy,” Pascal said. “We’re a long way from Corona. It’ll be awhile before you can recharge.”

“Pascal!” Eugene said.

Rapunzel snickered. “You have to recharge your powers?”

“Can we try not to give away valuable secrets in front of the Horde soldier?!” Eugene said. “Now, stand back.”

Pascal sighed, but moved to stand by Rapunzel. Eugene took a breath, concentrating on the light in his hands, imagining it spreading, growing brighter and bolder, chasing away all shadows that lurked and snarled in the corners.

He threw the light into the air, and it burst, scattering twinkling shards across the room. The crystal walls reflected it, making the room almost fully lit. Rapunzel blinked, looking surprised.

Eugene slouched, a wave of exhaustion riding over him. “Are you okay?” Pascal asked.

“I’m fine.” Eugene forced himself to push away the dizziness. He turned, and froze.

There was a stained glass window, depicting a woman holding a bright yellow flower, long blonde hair looping around her endlessly. “That’s you.” Pascal said, looking to Rapunzel in surprise. 

“That doesn’t look anything like me.” Rapunzel said.

“No, the other you. The one with the hair.” Pascal said.

“That was...me?” Rapunzel asked, looking unsure. 

“You can read that inscription, right? What does it say?” Pascal asked, seeing scrawling First Ones writing at the bottom of the stained glass. 

“It says…” Rapunzel squinted. “Sundrop.”

Upon her word, the writing lit up, spreading along the stained glass and spreading around the room, finishing the job that Eugene’s light started. 

A holographic woman appeared in front of them, and Eugene stumbled back with a shriek. “Greetings, administrator,” The hologram said. “What is your query?”

“What is that thing?!” Rapunzel demanded.

“It’s some kind of ancient hologram.” Pascal said, waving at it nervously. It flickered, but didn’t disappear. 

“What is your query?” She asked.

“Uh, hi,” Pascal said. “What is this place?”

No answer.

“How do we get out of here?” Pascal asked, enunciating each word.

“What is your query?” She repeated.

“Broken.” Pascal decided.

“She’s old,” Eugene said. “I’m surprised any of this stuff works at all.” He stuck his hand through the hologram, and it beeped dangerously, turning red.

“Administrator not detected,” She said. “Lockdown initiated.” The room turned a crimson red, and the ground rumbled.

“What did you do?!” Rapunzel snapped.

“Nothing! I just touched it!” Eugene said.

The doors around them began to slide shut, rumbling and cracking with age. “No lockdown! No lockdown!” Pascal said, but nothing happened. A glass panel above them shifted, looking close to dropping. 

“You gotta stop this!” Pascal said, turning to Rapunzel. 

“What makes you think I can?!” Rapunzel demanded. 

“There’s gotta be a password or something!” Pascal said.

“Uh, stop it!” Rapunzel commanded, but nothing happened. “Uh, Eternia! Eternia!” Still nothing. If anything, the rumbling got worse. 

“Give me the flower!” Rapunzel said, turning to Eugene.

“What?! No!” He said.

“We need the crazy lady with the hair! Somehow she’s connected to all this! Maybe she can get us out!” Rapunzel said. 

Eugene hesitated, and then scowled. “You’re a Horde soldier, there’s no way I’m letting you have this!”

A glass panel fell to the ground, and Eugene leapt out of the way, barely avoiding getting filleted. “Uh, Eternia!” Rapunzel shouted. “Hair! Sundrop!”

Nothing. The glass ceiling cracked, and shards of glass the size of axes came down on them. Eugene grabbed Pascal and Rapunzel. “Hold on!”

“Eugene, no-!” Pascal started, but it was too late.

They disappeared in a flash of light just as the glass hit the ground.

*** *** ***

Rapunzel blinked, wind on her face as she fell thousands of feet towards the ground. She shrieked, realizing Eugene had teleported them into the sky.

“Eugene!” Pascal shouted, grabbing his arm and shaking him, but Eugene didn’t respond, eyes closed and pale.

Pascal paused, and then drew an arrow from his quiver, aiming down to the trees. He released it, and a massive net sprung out from it. Rapunzel yelped, the rope scratching her painfully, but it was better than being splattered across the forest floor. 

Pascal dragged Eugene off the net, looking panicked. “Eugene? Eugene?!”

After an awful moment of silence, Eugene let out a long groan. “Did it work?” He asked, voice thick.

“Yeah,” Pascal said. “Barely.”

“But it did work!” Eugene protested weakly. 

“You alright?” Pascal asked.

“Yeah...little queasy…” Eugene winced. “I think I used too much power getting out of there.”

“Oh, what wise seer could have possibly predicted that less than an hour ago?” Pascal said, helping Eugene to his feet.

“Yeah, yeah, rub it in…” Eugene smiled slightly.

“No more teleporting for a while, you’ll hurt yourself.” Pascal said. 

“I’m fine!” Eugene said. “Let’s just get back to Corona so I can recharge already.” He caught sight of Rapunzel and scowled deeply. “Why are you still here?”

“What?” Rapunzel asked.

“Charming and handsome as we are, Pascal and I aren’t a crack security team. You could have escaped a bunch of times. Why haven’t you?” Eugene asked.

Rapunzel paused, suddenly unsure of the answer she had. Or the answer she was willing to give. “I...I just wanna figure out what’s happening to me, and if I go back to the Fright Zone, I’ll never know.”

She glanced down at her hands. “I...never knew where I came from. Or who my family was. My mother said it didn’t matter who I was before, that I was nothing before she and Hector took me in. There’s...always been a part of me that I don’t know anything about. And all this...feels...familiar. Somehow.” She sighed. “I don’t know how else to explain it.”

Eugene opened his mouth to say something, and then caught sight of Rapunzel’s badge, and scowled. 

“Eugene’s mom knows more about First Ones stuff than anyone,” Pascal said. “She’ll know what’s going on with you and that flower for sure. So, if you want your questions answered...stick with us?”

Rapunzel paused, entirely unsure how to take this offer. 

“Let’s go,” Eugene said, pulling away from Pascal’s support. “There should be a village a few miles from here. They’ll be able to give us a ride back to Corona. We’ve wasted too much time already.”

And he walked off into the forest, steps only a little wobbly.

*** *** ***

“For the last time,” Gothel hissed, hair graying. “Where is Rapunzel?”

“For the last time, I don’t know,” Cassandra said, pretending she wasn’t distinctly uncomfortable with being in Gothel’s lair. “You think I keep her on a leash or something?”

“I know you’re lying,” Gothel snapped. “You two are close. She would never depart without telling you.”

“Then I guess she let us both down, huh?” Cassandra said.

“Have it your way,” Gothel snapped, leaning over a basin filled with swirling green liquid. “I already know where she is. I’ve been tracking her.”

“Then why’d you even ask me?” Cassandra demanded.

“Because you are going to bring her back.” Gothel said.

“Ha!” Cassandra turned, but suddenly her joints locked, and the hairs on her arms stood up, prickling uncomfortably as an energy held her in place, barely allowing her room to breathe. A strangled whimper escaped her throat before she could stop it, and Cassandra hated herself for it.

“Your insolence will not protect her,” Gothel said quietly. “You will do as I ask.”

“Or what?” Cassandra managed to say.

Gothel grabbed her face roughly, twisting her to look her in the eyes. Cassandra winced. 

“Or you will suffer the consequences in her place.” Gothel said.

*** *** ***

The village was bright and happy, people scattered around, chattering merrily and dancing to music that seemed to burst out of every corner. 

“Okay, the jacket comes off.” Eugene said.

“What? Why?” Rapunzel asked, stepping back defensively.

“Because,” Eugene said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. “If the villagers see a Horde soldier, they’ll freak out. So we gotta fix…” Eugene gestured to her. “All this.”

Rapunzel scowled, but slowly took off her jacket, tossing it behind the bushes. Eugene yanked off his own vest, handing it to her so it covered the Horde insignia on her shirt. It was oversized, but oversized in the way that it rattled around her frame stiffly. Rapunzel frowned. “I feel ridiculous.”

“That’s because you need something to tie it all together!” Pascal said, plucking a pink flower from a nearby bush and sticking it in Rapunzel’s hair.

Rapunzel squirmed. “I don’t like it.”

“The point is you don’t look like a Horde soldier anymore,” Eugene said. “Just try and keep a low profile. We’ll be in and out.”

Rapunzel followed the two, looking around the town. “What’s going on?” She asked.

“It’s a festival,” Pascal said. “You know, like a big party?”

Rapunzel blinked, and Pascal’s expression turned to one of deep grief. “You don’t have parties in the Fright Zone?!”

“Oh, right, parties!” Rapunzel lied. “I mean, yeah, pfft, we...yeah, I don’t know what that is.”

Pascal gasped, and Eugene rushed back to them. “Did you hear what I said?! In and out!”

“She has never been to a party before, Eugene!” Pascal said mournfully. “This is serious.”

*** *** ***

In Eugene’s opinion, it was time-wasting, but he was out-voted. It didn’t seem fair, seeing as one of the people voting was a Horde soldier. 

All the same, he followed grumpily when Rapunzel ate a pastry with big, joyous eyes, making him wonder if she had sweets in the Horde. He shook the thoughts away. No pity for a Horde soldier. 

They spent precious hours exploring the town, Rapunzel eating everything she could get her hands on as though she were starving, watching dances with open awe and fascination, and beating the everloving hell out of a pinata. 

The last one concerned Eugene slightly, but the kids seemed thankful. Evidently it had been a tough one to crack.

He kept reminding himself of the Horde, what they could do, what he had seen them do…

But it was hard to imagine Rapunzel doing such things when she watched a storyteller with such childish excitement and glee.

*** *** *** 

“So no parties ever?” Pascal asked, handing Rapunzel more candy, which she accepted gratefully. “What do you do on your birthday?”

“My what?” Rapunzel asked.

Pascal gasped. “How is your life so sad?!”

Rapunzel froze, and gasped, pointing at something magnificent in a pen. “What. Is. That.” She said, in awe.

Pascal followed her finger and blinked. “...a horse.”

The majestic being-the horse-tossed its head and snorted. “It’s fantastic.” Rapunzel whispered.

Pascal smiled. “You...wanna go meet him?”

“What?!” Rapunzel gasped. “No! No no no no-”

Pascal gently pushed her towards the horse, grinning. “Aw, come on! See? He likes you!” He took her hand and gently placed it on the horse’s nose. Rapunzel tensed, but the horse simply leaned into her touch. His nose was velvety and soft. She smiled widely.

“This is the best day of my life.” Rapunzel whispered.

As if cursing her for her happiness, there was suddenly a distant rumble, and smoke started rising at the edge of the town. “What’s going on?” Pascal asked. 

They rushed ahead, and Rapunzel stopped short when they got to the source of the smoke.

Horde robots, tearing the little village apart.

She felt the blood drain from her face. “No.”

Eugene grabbed them, dragging them behind an abandoned, burned out house. “Why are they here?” Pascal said. “The people of Pincosta aren’t a threat!”

“Pincosta?” Rapunzel said, dread curling in her stomach. “This can’t be Pincosta.”

Eugene’s expression turned dark. “Did you know something about this?”

“No!” Rapunzel said. “I mean, yes, but there’s been a mistake. Pincosta’s supposed to be a heavily fortified rebel fortress, not a civilian town!”

Eugene’s face twisted, a mix of grief and fury. He grabbed Rapunzel’s arm, dragging her out to the raging one sided battle. “Do you really think that matters to them?!” He demanded.

Rapunzel felt nauseous at the chaos around her. “I can get them to stop,” She said. “This...this is all a big misunderstanding.”

She turned to Pascal and Eugene. “Get as many people out as you can, and don’t let them see you.” 

She yanked off Eugene’s vest, shoving it back to him, the insignia on the back of her shirt no longer a badge of honor, but more of a brand of shame. “I’m sorry.” She said, and then took off into the smoke.

People ran and panicked around her, screaming in fear when the tanks rolled in, crushing anything that didn’t get out of their way. Robots shot lasers, no longer set to only sting and make you twitch. Smoke billowed, and Rapunzel coughed harshly, seeing a tank rolling towards a particularly small house. People were still leaving it.

“Stop!” She threw herself in front of the tank, and seconds before it would have run her over, it rolled to a stop. She panted, seeing the cannon aimed directly at her forehead.

The top of the cannon opened, and the driver poked her head out. “Raps!” Cassandra smiled, looking relieved.

“Cassandra?!” Rapunzel asked, stepping back.

Cassandra laughed, hopping out of the tank. “They let me drive a tank, can you believe it?”

“Cass, I don’t...I don’t understand. Why are you here?” Rapunzel asked.

“Duh,” Cassandra smiled, grabbing Rapunzel’s arm. “We came to find you. ‘Cover for me Cass, no one will know I’m gone’. Did you just immediately get captured the moment you left the Fright Zone? How’s that for getting out there?” She chuckled, and paused, seeing the pink flower in Rapunzel’s hair. “What are you wearing?”

“Um.” Rapunzel said, feeling her face grow hot. She yanked out the flower and tossed it. 

It fell to pieces when it hit the ground.

*** *** ***

Eugene helped a young satyr child to her feet, ushering her along, trying to keep the fleeing citizens from becoming a bottleneck where they would trample each other. 

A robot peeked over the crowd, but immediately fell back, an arrow piercing its red eye. Eugene glanced up, and saw Pascal perched on a rooftop. He gave Eugene a thumbs up, not seeing the Horde soldier creep up behind him, electric baton at the ready.

“Pascal!” Eugene shouted, teleporting to him and throwing a ball of light at the soldier before he knew what he was doing. He stumbled, nausea rising in his throat, world tilting dangerously.

*** *** ***

“There’s no time to fool around,” Rapunzel said. “We have to put a stop to this.”

“What?” Cassandra looked confused. “Why?”

“This is a civilian town!” Rapunzel said desperately. “Look around! These aren’t rebels, they’re innocent people!”

“Innocent people who kidnapped a Horde officer.” Cassandra said. She started pulling Rapunzel to the tank. “Come on, let’s get you back to the Fright Zone. Gothel is freaking out.” She laughed, and then frowned. “It’d be funny if she weren’t such a horrible person.”

“Cass, no,” Rapunzel pulled away, biting back a defense of her mother in spite of it. “I can’t go back. Not until the Horde leaves this town alone. You have to help me!”

Cassandra looked back, uncertainty on her face for the first time. “What...what are you saying?”

“I’m saying this is wrong,” Rapunzel said. “They’re been lying to us, manipulating us. Hector, Mother, all of them!”

Cassandra blinked, looking solemn, and Rapunzel was about to reach out to her-

“Duh!” Cassandra sighed deeply, as though they had had this conversation before. “You just figured that out? Manipulation is Gothel’s whole thing! She’s been messing with our heads since we were kids.”

Rapunzel stepped back. “How...how could you possibly be okay with that?”

“Because,” Cassandra shrugged. “It doesn’t matter what they do. What matters is that we look out for each other. Like we always do. And soon we’ll be the ones calling the shots.”

Rapunzel felt sick.

“Now come on, let’s go home already.” Cassandra said. 

Rapunzel set her jaw, seeing the smoke climb higher and higher, darker than the blackest night. “I’m not going home Cassandra,” Rapunzel said. “I can’t. Not after everything I’ve seen.”

She grabbed Cassandra’s hand. “Come with me, please. You don’t have to go back there. We can start over, it’ll be better! We can fix this!”

But Cassandra’s face twisted into a deep frown, and she yanked away. “Are you serious?” She asked in a low voice. “You’ve known these people for, what, a couple hours? And now you’re gonna throw everything away for them?” She scowled. “What happened to you?”

“I don’t know,” Rapunzel said honestly. “But I have to do something. I’m sorry, Cass.” 

She turned, and Cassandra moved quickly, and Rapunzel realized she had an electric baton. Pain shot through her side, and with a shout, Rapunzel collapsed.

*** *** ***

“I think that’s all of them!” Pascal said, escorting the last of the civilians away. “Eugene, come on!”

Eugene stumbled after Pascal, but a dark metal skiff cut them off, two armored Horde soldiers jumping off it, batons at the ready. They skidded around a corner, just managing to hide. Pascal panted. “What are we gonna do?”

“There’s nothing we can do, Pascal,” Eugene said. “You’re almost out of arrows and I’m almost out of magic.”

“You can’t say that, you’re Eugene!” Pascal said. “You throw yourself into every fight, no matter how hopeless!”

“Every decision I’ve made today has almost gotten us killed!” Eugene hissed. He sighed, willing away queasiness with little success. “My mom was right, I’m not ready for this!”

“No, you are not giving up now,” Pascal said, determined. “I’m sorry your mom doesn’t see how strong you are, but that’s her loss! You can do this, Eugene. And you don’t have to do it alone.”

Eugene paused, expression one of deep thought. “You’re right,” He stood up. “We need Rapunzel.”

Pascal blinked owlishly. “We do? Didn’t she just sell us out to the Horde?”

“I don’t think she did,” Eugene said. “We need to find her. I think she can help us. Just...trust me.”

Pascal sighed, but stood up. “What’s the plan-you’re already running, okay-” He sprinted after Eugene, gripping his bow tightly. There was a screaming whinny, and Pascal saw the horse Rapunzel had been so fascinated with earlier.

“There!” He waved to Eugene, managing to grab the white stallion before it fled, swinging up onto it, galloping off into the smoke.

*** *** ***

“Ah, man!” Cassandra said, sounding startled as Rapunzel struggled to stand. “That was a lot stronger than I thought. Are you okay?”

“Cassandra-” Rapunzel said, a bit furious, but shouted when Cassandra zapped her again.

“Sorry! That was reflex.” Cassandra said. 

“Why are you doing this?!” Rapunzel asked, desperate and dizzy.

Cassandra scowled. “Because you left me!” She waved the baton vaguely. “And if I don’t bring you back, Gothel’s gonna have my head! So enough with your weird little identity crisis, and let’s go home already.” Cassandra looked genuinely upset, and it made Rapunzel pause. “Or do I need to zap you again-AGH!” She stumbled back, a bright light flashing in her face.

There was a loud whinny, and Rapunzel glanced forward to see the white horse from earlier charging towards her, Eugene and Pascal on it’s back. Eugene grimaced, arm outstretched, face white as snow. 

He slid off, rushing to Rapunzel. “Eugene?” Rapunzel asked, barely daring to believe it. Cassandra scowled, but shrieked when Pascal shot at her with an arrow that exploded into a net. She scowled, aiming the baton, and Rapunzel saw a bright ball of energy building at the tip. 

“Watch out!” Pascal shouted, and Eugene grabbed Rapunzel, and the two disappeared to the outskirts of the village. Eugene immediately fell to his knees, gagging and gasping.

“I think…” He wheezed. “I think...I’m about out of magic…”

Rapunzel grabbed his arm, helping him to a better hiding spot. “Eugene, why...what are you doing? Why’d you save me?”

Eugene winced. “We need you.” He weakly held out the golden flower. It still sparkled, seeming to catch the sunlight. “We need the Sundrop. I should’ve given this back to you in the ruin. You could’ve saved us there and I knew that. But I was stupid. And a jerk. And I almost got us killed, and I’m sorry.”

“You’re not any of those things!” Rapunzel said. “I’m the Horde Soldier. How do you know you can trust me now?”

“I don’t,” Eugene admitted, offering her the flower. “But...I really, really hope I can. I feel like...maybe you’re here to help us.”

Rapunzel paused, reaching for the flower, pausing when a shadow from a robot fell over them. It caught sight of the two, and started scurrying towards them.

Rapunzel took the flower.

“For the honor of Der Sonne!”

*** *** ***

Pascal stumbled, desperately parrying the blows from the baton with his battered bow. The dark haired soldier was much bigger than him, and it was difficult to keep up with her hard and fast blows. 

Cassandra-that was her name, he believed-sprung at him again, knocking him to the ground. He barely had time to raise the bow before the baton came down, and the jolt made him wince. Cassandra smiled. 

He kicked her in the gut, and she crumpled, giving him an opportunity to slip away. He stumbled, new bruises and cuts aching as he hobbled to the horse. He started to climb onto it, but heard a mechanical cracking noise from all around him. He was surrounded by Horde robots and out of arrows.

Pascal sighed, gripping the bow tightly. “It’s been an honor serving alongside you, Horsey.” Pascal said solemnly. 

The horse snorted, and trotted off.

The Horde drew in around Pascal, but suddenly, there was a bright golden glow, and the army paused, unsure what to do. Pascal’s jaw dropped.

A tall woman with a golden flower tucked behind her ear walked into the center of the Horde’s circle, glowing with the strength of the sun. Her impossibly long blonde hair trailed behind her, a beacon of power and strength. Everything was still, the universe once again focused on a new point. 

Then she spread her hands, and the earth split, swallowing a tank in one gulp. The robots shifted, crashing into each other and buzzing, electricity crackling across their rotund frames, and skiffs overturned, spilling soldiers. Cassandra had a look that was a strange mix of horror, awe, and something Pascal might have called heartbreak, but he couldn’t be sure.

Pascal looked at her, and she merely nodded.

A partially functional tank spun, cannon aimed at Pascal, but the woman was faster. She swung out a thick strand of her hair like a lasso, and it wrapped around the cannon head. She yanked back, and the cannon top ripped off. 

A Horde soldier charged her with a battle cry, but once again she threw her hair, disarming him first, and then yanking him off his feet. A robot tried to step on her, and she caught its foot with her bare hands, and threw it to the side, where it exploded in a blaze of smoke and fire. 

“Pascal!” Eugene stumbled up to him, looking worried. “Are you alright?!”

“Is that…” Pascal looked at the woman. “Rapunzel?”

Eugene grinned. “It’s the Sundrop.”

“Retreat!” A Horde soldier yelled, and Pascal watched the armored soldier flee, panicked by the unforeseen foe. 

She stumbled, and in a flash of light, Rapunzel was back, dark short hair and all, looking startled by the mess around her. A cold gust of wind blew smoke and embers around, and for a second, she could see Cassandra, staring at her with shock, mixing emotions open on her face. 

“Cass.” Rapunzel said, too quiet for anyone but herself to hear it.

Cassandra’s expression turned stony and guarded. She stepped back into the smoke, and when the ashes cleared, there was no sign of her.

As if she had never existed at all.

“You did it!” Pascal tackled Rapunzel in a hug that would have probably knocked her over had he not been so tiny. 

“I did?” Rapunzel asked.

“You saved us,” Eugene smiled slightly. “You saved everyone.”

“Huh.” Rapunzel blinked, feeling...she didn’t know. She had no idea how to feel. “I did it.”

“I turned against the Horde!” She said, and then, horrified: “I turned against the Horde!”

“Why did I do that?!” She said, panicked. “I can’t go back now, where am I supposed to go?!”

“Hey, hey!” Eugene knelt next to her. “It’s alright, Blondie. You’re with us now. So come on,” He offered his hand. “Let’s go home.”

Rapunzel realized she was smiling, and slowly, she took Eugene’s hand, letting him help her up. Pascal rushed up with her, grinning ear to ear. “Best friends squad!”

Rapunzel smiled, still lost, but now she had a direction, and people to guide her. And that...that was good enough for now.

Pascal paused, seeing the white stallion following them. “Wait, whose horse is that?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ahhhhh i love eugene, not as a part of new dream (yes i still love new dream) but as a character. he's so fun to write for 
> 
> also if you're american, please vote, and please don't vote for the fascist. ik biden isnt great, but we're just all trying to survive out here, okay. my gay digital footprint is too big to completely erase or hide, and i dont have the money to move to a different country where i wont get hate crimed if im out of the closet


	3. The Woman in the Woods

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> dead ass nearly forgot to post a chapter but anyway~  
> so we've kept several characters the same here! i was gonna use madame canardist and then i remembered i do not like that she is a stereotype of the Romani people so we have simply elected to cut her out.  
> also im realizing as i write this that when you get down to it there are not that many characters in tangled, and even fewer characters that have a real relevance to the plot so that's been fun

“Did we steal a horse?” Rapunzel asked.

“No.” Eugene said, leaning against the horse’s neck, looking exhausted and haggard. Rapunzel and Pascal had volunteered that Eugene would be the one to ride it back to Corona, seeing as he had completely exhausted his magic resources and then some. Eugene protested, insisting he was fine, but he didn’t protest very much, and seemed relieved to have a break. “No one claimed it.”

“There wasn’t really anyone left to claim it. Everyone ran.” Pascal said. 

“We’ll figure out equine ownership disputes later.” Eugene decided.

“Oh, good!” Pascal said. “Here we are!”

Rapunzel looked ahead, and her mouth fell open. “Woah.”

“Welcome to Corona.” Eugene said.

A massive bridge led over a lake filled with clear, sparkling water, and sunlight danced on the rooftops and the palace walls. A massive, blue gem hung suspended above the palace, humming with a gentle, kind energy. “Woah.” Rapunzel said again. 

“Okay,” Eugene said. “I just need to go in there, recharge, and deal with my mom.”

“Easier said than done.” Pascal said.

“Thank you, Pascal,” Eugene said dryly. “For your vote of confidence. Maybe...you should take Rapunzel in the back way. Because of the...you know. Horde symbol plastered on her back. A literal target, if you will.”

“Oh, yeah. Probably a good idea.” Pascal said.

“What’s the back way?” Rapunzel asked.

*** *** ***

“This is the back way?!” Rapunzel demanded, dangling from a rope over the castle.

“It might seem weird,” Pascal said, helping pull her in through the window. “But we totally come in this way all the time. Oh hey, here! Put this robe on!” He tossed Rapunzel a purple robe.

“This isn’t going to fit me.” Rapunzel said.

“It’ll cover your target until we get you something better,” Pascal said. “So less talking, more...robing.”

Rapunzel raised her eyebrows, and Pascal sighed. “Just put it on.”

*** *** ***

Eugene slid off the horse, dizziness increasing tenfold when his feet hit the ground. He took a deep breath, trying to focus. He just needed to recharge.

“Eugene!” 

Eugene winced at Angella’s voice. “Ah, great…” He grumbled when she marched up to him, her wings spread wide. She only did that when she was really angry.

“Hey, Mom.” He said weakly, trying to go for an innocent smile.

“Where have you been?!” Angella demanded. “All of Corona has been worried sick. What were you thinking?!”

“Mom!” Eugene snapped, trying to cut off her tirade before it started. 

“How could you be so disobedient and selfish?!” Angella asked, or at least that’s what Eugene thought she said. It was hard to tell; her voice was echoey, as if coming from far away, and his vision blurred.

Eugene winced, a sudden headache greeting him, and he rubbed his eyes, trying to focus. “H-hang on, I…” He trailed off, feeling sick.

“Eugene? You-” But Eugene pitched forward, exhaustion taking over.

*** *** ***

He woke up under the moonstone, the sick feeling gone, much to his relief. 

Angella smiled slightly when she saw him open his eyes. “Are you alright?” She asked, face pinched with worry. 

“Ah, yeah, I’m fine.” Eugene sat up, feeling a bit guilty for worrying her.

Angella breathed a sigh of relief, and then her face hardened. “Don’t think you aren’t still in trouble. You didn’t even take the time to charge up before you left!”

“Didn’t think I’d be gone that long.” Eugene said, only half paying attention, tossing a ball of light between his hands, relishing how easy it was now. 

Angella sighed. “Where did you even go?”

“Oh, okay,” Eugene said, getting excited. “Pascal and I found this super powerful thing in the woods, I think it's connected to the First Ones. We knew it would help the Rebellion, so we went to bring it back, but we got a little sidetracked. It was fine though, I totally had it under control. And then while we were out there we found something even better!”

Angella looked unimpressed. “What did you find?”

“Can’t tell you yet,” Eugene said. “But you’ll love it. I promise!”

“Eugene.” Angella said.

“Ah!” Eugene held out his arms, motioning for her to stay. “Wait here, I’ll be right back!”

He stepped forward and disappeared in a flash of light, ignoring Angella’s shouts for him to come back.

*** *** ***

“Okay, I get it,” Rapunzel said glumly as Pascal peeked out of the room nervously. “People in Corona are gonna be less welcoming of a Horde soldier than you led me to believe.” 

“Maybe a little.” Pascal admitted.

“How little?” Rapunzel asked.

“Think…” Pascal paused. “Pitchforks and torches.”

“Great.” Rapunzel grumbled. 

“It’s just the people of Corona have been really hurt by the Horde,” Pascal said, closing the door and sitting next to Rapunzel. “Everyone here has lost someone to the war. You can’t blame them for being a little suspicious.”

Rapunzel frowned, feeling guilty for her irritation. “Sorry.”

“Not your fault,” Pascal smiled. “Once they get to know you, the people of Corona are going to trust you just like Eugene and I already-EEK!” Pascal reeled back when Eugene appeared in a bright flash, looking excited.

“I’m back!” He announced in case anyone missed his entrance. “Okay, my mom’s on her way, but no one panic.”

“What?!” Rapunzel shot to her feet.

“I said no one panic!” Eugene said. “Don’t worry, she’ll love you. All you have to do is use the flower and transform into the Sundrop before she gets here.”

“We’re jumping straight to the Sundrop with your mom?” Pascal asked.

“Introductions take too long,” Eugene shrugged. “And she’s not gonna go for the ‘Hey, I found a Horde soldier, can I keep it?’ My mom’s gonna love the Sundrop, and we can ease her into the backstory stuff later.”

“How later?” Rapunzel asked.

“Well, if she never has to find out, I think we can all walk away successfully.” Eugene shrugged. 

“That’ll work great.” Pascal muttered. 

“This is kind of a lot of pressure,” Rapunzel admitted. “I don’t know if I can just...turn on the Sundrop. I’ve only done it when someone was in danger before, and it felt a little out of control last time.”

“What? No, you did great!” Eugene assured her.

“I pulled a tank apart with my hair!” Rapunzel said.

“And that’s a good thing! Tanks are bad.” Eugene said. 

Rapunzel made a face. “I’m still figuring out how all this stuff works.”

“How hard can it be?” Eugene asked cheerfully. “Flower, magic words, boom! The Sundrop!”

Rapunzel shuffled, touching the flower she had by now pinned behind her ear nervously. Eugene saw her expression and smiled. “Hey, you’ll be great! Pascal and I will buy you some time. Just...hang out here with the flower and think magic Sundrop thoughts.”

“Great advice.” Pascal said. 

“I believe in you!” Eugene gave her a quick thumbs up, grinning excitedly. He grabbed Pascal, and the two disappeared in a flash of light. 

Rapunzel sighed, unpinning the flower and staring at it. “Alright, flower. It’s just...me and you. So let’s do this,” She coughed. “For the honor of Der-”

She paused when she heard a whinny outside, and turned to see the white stallion grazing right outside the window. She grinned widely, and glanced at a discarded robe in the corner of the room. Surely she had time to make a quick visit to the stallion, right?

*** *** ***

“Aw, Horsey!” She grinned, rushing up to the stallion and stroking it’s velvety nose. She paced the field, smiling widely. “Oh, yeah, this is much better. There’s room to move around here! Ready to see something cool?” She asked the horse. 

The horse went back to grazing.

She held the flower up. “For the honor of Der Sonne!”

Nothing happened. The horse tugged at a root. 

Rapunzel felt her face turn hot. “I...lemme try again,” She coughed. “For the honor of Der Sonne!”

This went on for several minutes. By the end of it, the horse even looked at her with something like pity in his eyes.

“Come on!” Rapunzel snapped at the flower, getting impatient. “Eugene’s counting on me. Don’t leave me hanging!”

She took a deep breath, aiming the flower at the sun. “For the honor of Der Sonne!” She shouted. 

A beam of light shot out of the flower, and Rapunzel grinned. Her grinned died away immediately, however, when the light hit the horse, and he reared in a panic, kicking. “Horsey, no!” Rapunzel cried, panicked. Had she killed him?!

There was a blinding flash of light, and when it died away, the horse stood, now bearing feathered wings and a long horn that sprouted from the center of his head. Rapunzel blinked, stepping back. “Okay.” She said.

The horse caught sight of its wings and seemed to sense the horn, and panicked, giving a screaming whinny and bucking and rearing wildly as if to outrun the new body parts. He stumbled into a nearby military outpost, wreaking havoc on the area and he tried to escape himself.

“Stop, no no no!” Rapunzel shouted, chasing the horse. He paid her no mind, only just learning to use his wings, and then becoming terrified of his newfound flight, which made for a lot of crashing and breaking. “Horsey!”

The horse swooped down, and a harsh gust of wind from his wings knocked Rapunzel back. He gave one last scream, and then disappeared.

“Horde soldier.” Someone whispered, and Rapunzel realized the oversized robe had been blown off, exposing the crimson insignia. 

A woman in what appeared to be a guard uniform drew a long sword. “Horde soldier!” She shouted.

Rapunzel stumbled back. “Wait, you don’t understand! I’m not-”

The woman sprang at her, and battle instincts took over. Rapunzel dodged with ease, tripping the woman, who stumbled badly in her clunky armor. A minotaur charged her, and Rapunzel easily dodged her, causing her to crash into a crate of supplies. 

She took off, realizing she couldn’t outmaneuver the whole camp, who were now taking up arms against her. She glanced back, and then fell off a steep hillside and into a cold stream. She winced, feeling the rocky bottom scrape her already fairly battered body, but forced herself to her feet, sprinting when arrows started whizzing past her. None of them had Pascal’s aim, luckily. 

She disappeared into the woods, alone and wet.

*** *** ***

“What is this grand surprise I’m supposed to be so impressed with?” Angella asked, looking between Pascal and Eugene with some suspicion. 

“You’ll see in a minute, Mom, I promise.” Eugene said, grinning ear to ear. He elbowed Pascal. “Pascal, could you go check and make sure the surprise is ready for us?”

“On it, Your Highness!” Pascal finger gunned Eugene amiably, rushing down the hall to his room. He saluted Angella clumsily, and Angella smiled.

“I do like that boy.” She said.

“So I’ve heard,” Eugene said. “You’ll like this surprise even more.”

There was a beat of silence, and Pascal rushed back, an odd expression on his face. He pulled Eugene to the side. “So. Problem.”

“What?!” Eugene hissed.

“Your Majesty!” A guard rushed to Angella, looking slightly panicked. “A Horde spy has been discovered on Corona grounds. She attacked our troops and then fled with the help of a winged beast!”

Angella was quiet, and then whirled to face Eugene and Pascal, who stepped back in unison at the sight of her regally angry face.

“What did you do?!”

*** *** ***

“I’m telling you,” Adira said. “This new princess is no joke. She wiped the floor with our recon squad.” 

The cadets had gathered in the locker room, listening to Adira’s tail with rapt attention, murmuring amongst themselves. “She was literally glowing! Her hair had to be seventy feet long!”

“Did you actually see her?” Another recruit asked.

“No,” Adira admitted. “And it’s a good thing. We were lucky to get out of there alive.”

“Oh please,” Cassandra said in a low voice, partially hidden by shadows, isolating herself from the rest of the group. “She’s like every other royal. All sparkle, no substance. She caught us off guard. That’s all.”

“Sure,” Adira said, eyeing her sideways. “You were the one that saw her up close, and you didn’t even land a hit on her.” Adira smiled. “Did you freeze up?”

Cassandra grit her teeth, almost blurting out that their precious squadron leader who they were oh-so worried about had betrayed them for a prince who sparkled and a green archer who was half her size-

“You think I’m scared of some princess?!” Cassandra snapped. “I could take her out whenever I want. I know her secret.”

“Yeah?” Adira asked. “And what’s that?”

Cassandra gritted her teeth tighter, but forced herself to step back. Adira was far more popular. If a fight broke out, the others would side with her. She settled for a scoff. “Like I’d tell you.”

“Easy, Cassandra,” Adira said as she turned to leave. “Rapunzel’s not here to protect you anymore.”

Cassandra very nearly drew her weapon, but restrained herself. 

But only just. 

*** *** ***

Rapunzel vaulted over a tree trunk, panting. No one seemed to be following her. For now.

“Stupid,” She grumbled to herself. “You just had to go there even after Pascal warned you about torches and pitchforks.”

The flower shimmered, and Rapunzel scowled. “What do you want from me? Haven’t I done enough for you?” She stood up, and waved the flower. “For the honor of Der Sonne!” She sighed when nothing happened. 

She stared at the flower. “What’s wrong with you?”

There was a sound that reminded Rapunzel of clanking metal, and she instantly went on guard, her mind going to thoughts of robots and tanks. But no armored soldiers emerged from the trees.

“Horsey?” She called hesitantly. “Is that you?”

She wandered deeper into the forest, and happened upon a small stick and moss hut, smoke billowing from the chimney. An old woman emerged, her hair wild and unkempt, moths fluttering around her face. She hummed to herself, sweeping the ground near her front door. Rapunzel shifted, and the woman froze. “Did I hear something?” She asked, seemingly to herself. “Yes, I did!”

She shook her broom. “Who’s there?!”

Rapunzel winced, emerging from the bushes. “Ah, sorry, I didn’t mean to intrude...but, um, have you seen a flying horse around here?”

The woman blinked, her yellowing glasses magnifying her eyes comically. She grinned widely. “Oh, Mara, dearie, is that you?! About time you got here, no time to waste, let’s get going!” 

She ducked back into her hut, and Rapunzel followed her. “Were you...waiting for me?” She asked.

The woman laughed, grabbing a basket from a shelf. “We made plans to go berry-picking today!” 

“I...I’m sorry, I think you’ve mistaken me for someone else,” Rapunzel said. “I don’t know who you are.”

“Hm,” The woman sighed. “No, you don’t know Madame Razz, do you? You’re not quite the same. This is the wrong time for my Mara, isn’t it? Now you’ve got the flower instead.”

“Wait, what?!” Rapunzel said. 

“Never mind!” Madame Razz said. “You’re here now, and there’s berries to be picked!”

She rushed out, surprisingly quick for an old woman, and Rapunzel ran to catch up with her. “You mentioned something about the flower,” Rapunzel said, pinning said flower back into her hair. “Have you seen it before?”

Madame Razz chuckled, climbing a hill with ease. “Don’t ask silly questions, Mara. You know you bring that flower around here all the time.”

“I’m not-” Rapunzel sighed. “How long have you been living in these woods alone?”

“Alone? Me?” Madame Razz smiled. “Oh, no, I’m not alone. I’ve got Broom here-” She held out the broom. “And my friend Loo-Kee too! But he’s always hiding.” She chuckled, rushing into the bushes with odd urgency.

“Good, she’s got imaginary friends…” Rapunzel said, following the woman. She froze when they entered a clearing that was overtaken in part by glass-like ruins, and in part by vines. 

“Woah.” Rapunzel said. Another First Ones ruin.

“Here we are!” Madame Razz said cheerfully. 

“I think I’ve seen a place like this before.” Rapunzel said slowly. She turned around, glancing at the writing on the glass structures. “This is a First Ones ruin, isn’t it?”

“And the best place to pick fresh berries!” Madame Razz called down to her, halfway up the glass tower. Rapunzel had no idea how she got up there, but yelped panicked the old woman would fall and shatter in front of her.

“Be careful! That thing’s not safe!” Rapunzel warned. 

Madame Razz ignored her, climbing higher up the tower, not realizing that she activated the tower’s writing with each time she touched the surface. When she got to a ledge, she paused, seeming to realize what was happening, but it was too late by then.

She yelped when the tower shocked her, and fell off.

Rapunzel gasped, just barely managing to catch Madame Razz. She was heavier than she looked, and Rapunzel collapsed painfully under her weight. Madame Razz giggled, embarrassed. “Oh dear, that was quite the tumble…”

The glass tower lit up, and the other structure did so as well. A strange, pink holographic appeared above them like a dome, dotted with sparkling points. Almost like…

“Stars?” Rapunzel asked.

“Oh!” Madame Razz said. “We used to come here to look at the stars. Do you remember, Mara? They’re all gone now…” She frowned. “What happened to the stars?”

“I’ve…” Rapunzel paused, still staring at the false stars. “I’ve never seen them before. But I know all this somehow.”

_Light Hope, standing stoic and patient. A planet in a starless sky. The Corona castle, sparkling with new light and power. A meteor crashing into a red desert. A glass palace. An empty black void pulling her in, standing alone in an empty field with tall grass._

_A baby, giggling, staring at a sky filled with millions of stars._

Rapunzel winced at the sudden flash of images she didn’t recognize. Madame Razz stared at her, and popped a berry into her mouth. “What is this?” Rapunzel asked. “What’s...what’s happening to me?”

Madame Razz didn’t answer, shuffling through her berry basket. “Look, I know you brought me here for a reason,” Rapunzel said. “If you know something about the flower, about me, you need to tell me! Please!”

Madame Razz chuckled. “I brought you here to pick berries,” She shoved a wicker basket into Rapunzel’s hands. “And your basket is still empty! So come on, silly.”

She grabbed Rapunzel’s arm, pulling her deeper into the forest.

*** *** ***

Cassandra wandered listlessly, ending up back in the barracks. She sighed, collapsing into Rapunzel’s still stewing from Adira’s jab.

She glanced to the side and paused, seeing Rapunzel’s carefully drawing of the two of them together, smiling widely. She had only had a broken pencil to draw with, and Cassandra was still impressed with how good it was given her limited supplies.

The impressed feeling was quickly overtaken by a sudden, hot rage, bubbling up inside her like vomit.

She drew her dagger, swiping at the drawing. There was the awful screeching sound of metal on metal, and in one stroke, the art was ruined completely, the metal post of the bunk now bearing a deep gouge. 

Cassandra paused, shocked with herself, but the rage only grew stronger, and she turned her weapon to the bedding, ripping it apart as if it were her worst enemy. Fabric and feathers flew around her like gore, and when she dropped her dagger from a shaky grip, she simply balled her fists, punching and ripping apart the bedding with her bare hands, ignoring the sting she received when there was no longer bedding to rip, and she was simply punching the metal frame of the bunk.

Her knuckles were bloody and battered when she finally stopped, giving into wracking, harsh sobs that she tried to muffle uselessly, surrounded by ruined art and murdered cloth.

“Cassandra!” 

Cassandra stood up quickly, yelping when her head hit the bunk above her, and she scrubbed her eyes, trying to rid herself of any evidence she had cried. “What do you want?!” She snapped at Gothel, hiding her bloody hands behind her back.

“Impertinent as ever, I see.” Gothel said, and Cassandra felt a small touch of relief when Gothel didn’t seem to notice her distraught state.

“With such grand failure under your belt,” Gothel continued, reaching out and touching Cassandra’s face with sickening gentleness. “It would benefit you to show more respect. Cadet.”

Cassandra barely restrained herself from swatting Gothel’s hand away. “I did what you told me to do,” Cassandra said. “You were the one who didn’t warn us there would be a princess there.”

“I gave you a simple task,” Gothel said, and the shadows seemed to grow around her, reaching out for Cassandra like spider legs. “Bring back Rapunzel. Instead, your squadron is ravaged, your war machine is destroyed, and Rapunzel is still missing.”

Cassandra shuddered when she could have sworn she felt a shadows brush against her, sickeningly cold. Like a dead body. Something unpleasant curled in her stomach, and she scowled at Gothel, the woman’s thick dark hair having regained it’s youthful shine. She must have been to the Garnet recently. “News flash, old lady,” Cassandra growled. “If Rapunzel wanted to come home, she would be here by now. Rapunzel’s gone. She defected.”

Gothel’s eyes widened in complete shock, and Cassandra felt a spiteful satisfaction in having thrown the witch off balance. “And I’m starting to think she had the right idea,” Cassandra added, Gothel’s unpreparedness giving her a boost of courage. “So maybe it’s you who should be showing a little more respect to me.”

“Lies!” Gothel shrieked, and Cassandra stumbled back when the force of her voice caused the lights to shatter, plunging the two into near total darkness. The shadows brushed her for sure this time, cold and heavy, and Cassandra realized she had just made a very grave mistake. 

“I am out of patience to address your incompetence and your insubordination, cadet,” Gothel hissed in a low voice. “You will answer to a higher power.”

The shadows converged on Cassandra, and she was left in a freezing, weighted blackness, with the sudden knowledge that Rapunzel was going to be in a world of trouble when she finally returned because of her. 

“Lord Hector himself.” Gothel’s self-satisfied voice said from the darkness, and Cassandra felt her heart skip a beat.

*** *** ***

“Will you slow down?” Rapunzel asked, struggling to keep up with Madame Razz. 

“Eh?” Madame Razz glanced back. “What was that, dearie? I don’t have my glasses, you’ll have to speak up.” She blinked, staring at Rapunzel with magnified eyes through her yellow-tinted glasses. 

“I know you can hear me,” Rapunzel huffed. “I just...I need you to tell me what to do!”

The old woman chuckled. “How should Madame Razz know what you should do?” 

“Look, I left my whole life behind, looking for answers,” Rapunzel said, getting frustrated. “About where I am, who I’m supposed to be. The Rebellion hates me, I can’t go back to the Horde, and I want to do the right thing, but I don’t know what that is!” 

Madame Razz stopped in her tracks, and Rapunzel nearly ran into her. 

There was a clearing up ahead, though not a natural one. The ground was charred and broken, trees knocked over, already wilting from their broken trunks. The earth was marked with deep scars, turned and ruined. Abandoned, broken tanks littered the area, the crimson bran of the Horde the brightest thing in the clearing. The air smelled of decay and smoke, too much like the Fright Zone, as if Rapunzel’s old home was spreading through Etheria like a virus.

Madame Razz heaved a heavy sigh. “It’s the same story, dearie,” She said sadly. “Wicked people destroy what they cannot control.”

“They…” Rapunzel swallowed hard. “They can’t just do this.”

“Once,” Madame Razz said. “The Royals would have protected us. But these days, they...they stay in their castle’s protecting their own lands. Meanwhile, the Horde creeps closer.”

The old woman paused, looking up at Rapunzel with a strange look. “You’re very like my Mara, do you know that? Brave, loyal, but afraid.”

“I’m not afraid.” Rapunzel said immediately.

“Dearie…” Madame Razz smiled. “You ran into the woods and asked the first old lady you could find what you should do. No one is going to make this easy for you, dearie. Stop waiting for someone to tell you what the right thing to do is. You’re a smart girl.”

She looked up at Rapunzel, smiling amiably. “What do you think?”

“I think…” She looked around at the scorched earth the Horde had left behind, and felt her resolve harden. “I think this is wrong.”

There was a distant whinny, and Rapunzel paused. “Horsey?” 

She rushed to the crest of a hill, and spotted the white stallion struggling with several Horde soldiers, who were throwing a net over it. The horse panicked, and in his thrashing, only tangled himself up more. 

The area was the sight of a small Horde encampment, and Rapunzel felt a new dread at the sight of the Horde symbol. She took the flower from her hair, staring at it’s shine. She took a deep breath, and held it upwards towards the sky.

“For the honor of Der Sonne!”

*** *** ***

“Keep those lines taunt!” A lion man, a Horde commander shouted, watching the horse thrash in desperation.

He turned suddenly, seeing a bright glow. There was a woman, alight with power, her hair golden and glowing, stretching out behind her for seemingly infinity.

She threw a thick strand of hair forward, yanking the net off of the horse with it. The horse whinnied and flew away. “Turn off your machine and leave this place now!” The Sundrop commanded, her voice rolling through the camp like thunder.

The Horde soldiers stepped back, for a second considering her prospect rather than risk her wrath. 

“It’s the princess!” The lion man shouted. “Get her!”

They drew their weapons, advancing on her. 

The Sundrop spread her hands, and a beam of light shot out, throwing the soldiers back. She threw a strand of hair around the cannon of a tank, and ripped it off with ease, and then swung around, throwing the piece of machinery into another tank, which crumbled under the blow. 

The Sundrop turned, facing the lion man, who stared at her with a slack jaw. He met her eyes, and then stumbled back towards the main building. He slammed a bright red button on the door, and Horde soldiers poured out, converging on the Sundrop.

They never had a chance. She ducked and weaved through their attacks with a furious grace, occasionally using her hair to trip or disarm them, or sending out a blast of bright energy that would shake the earth. 

“Take that you big lump!” Madame Razz said, beating a Horde soldier with her broom. “Razzle dazzle!”

“Razz, no!” The Sundrop cried. “You can’t be here!”

Madame Razz glanced back, and the Horde soldier raised their weapon, preparing to attack her-

The white stallion swooped down out of nowhere, trampling the would-be old lady murderer, snorting. He flew off, circling the sky with a victorious whinny. 

The Sundrop heard a machine buzz, and turned to see the lion man firing up a cannon, aiming it at the stallion. She stretched her hand out, and a wave of light shot out, throwing the cannon roughly. The lion man stumbled back, shocked. 

He stared up at the Sundrop with open awe and fear, and then smiled. The cannon had landed in a way that the opening faced the Sundrop, and it flashed. 

The Sundrop felt something throw her back, as though she had been whack with a metal pipe in the chest. She shouted in surprise, and then-

Blackness.

*** *** ***

Something velvety nudged Rapunzel’s cheek, and she opened her eyes slowly.

The stallion was staring down at her, his horse eyes managing to hold concern. “Hello, dearie!” Madame Razz said cheerfully.

Rapunzel sat up and winced. “Ow.”

“Maximus and I have been talking while you were sleeping,” Madame Razz said. “He thanks you for coming to his rescue.”

“Maximus?” Rapunzel asked.

Madame Razz nodded at the stallion. “That’s what he prefers to be called.”

The stallion snorted.

“Also he wanted me to make sure you knew ‘Horsey’ was a stupid name.” Madame Razz added. She smiled widely. “How do you feel?”

“I’m…” Rapunzel paused, and then gave a shaky smile. “I’m okay. I...think I know what I need to do. If the royals won’t defend Etheria, then I will. I need to get back to Corona.”

Madame Razz grinned. “That’s the spirit, dearie!”

“Will I see you again?” Rapunzel asked.

Madame Razz took her hand, patting it gently. “If you need me,” She said. “You will know where to find me.” 

She stretched her hand out, and the broom zoomed back to her hand. She smiled once more, and Madame Razz disappeared back into her hut.

Rapunzel turned to the white stallion, who was looking at her expectantly. “Um,” She said, feeling silly. “Any chance I could get a ride back to Corona, Maximus?” 

*** *** ***

“How could you possibly think this was acceptable?!” Angella demanded, pacing in front of her grand throne. 

“Mom, you don’t understand!” Eugene said desperately, acutely aware the whole court was staring at him. “You’re not listening!”

“You’ve shown remarkably poor judgement!” Angella shouted, furious. “Allowing a Horde soldier into Corona without telling me?!”

“Your Majesty, it’s not all his fault.” Pascal said, looking nervous to speak up. 

“Pascal, I think it’s time you went home,” Angella said, voice suddenly low and quiet. “Eugene and I have a lot to discuss.”

“Mom-” Eugene started, but froze when there was suddenly a bright, golden light at the entrance of the grand court. 

A tall woman walked in, glowing with power. Her long blonde hair trailed behind her, not a hindrance, but a tool and weapon. She clutched a sun-colored flower in her hand.

Angella stepped back, face slack in shock. “It can’t be.” She whispered.

“I was trying to tell you,” Eugene said, relieved. “Mom, meet-”

“The Sundrop.” Angella whispered, not seeming to notice Eugene.

The Sundrop came to a stop in front of Angella. “Your Majesty,” She said. “I’ve come to pledge myself to the Rebellion. But first, there’s...something you should know.”

There was a flash of light, and the Sundrop was gone, replaced with a brunette girl, still clutching the flower, twirling it with nerves. Her shirt had the crimson symbol of the Horde, a stain on the Sundrop. 

Angella stepped back.

“Mom, this is Rapunzel.” Eugene said, stepping next to her. He nudged her in silent encouragement.

Rapunzel held out the flower to the queen. “I know you have no reason to trust me, Your Majesty. But I’ve seen for myself the atrocities the Horde has committed against the people of Etheria, and I’m ready to fight to stop them. If you give me the chance, I know I can help the Rebellion turn the tide of the war.”

Angella was quiet for a long moment. She reached out, taking the offered flower and examining it. Her expression was completely unreadable. The court held its breath, waiting for a verdict.

“I know the legend of the warrior the First Ones called the Sundrop,” Angella said slowly. “They said she would return to us in our hour of greatest need to bring balance to Etheria. I never thought she was anything more than a myth. And yet…”

She looked away from the flower, focusing on Rapunzel. “And yet here you are. And in the uniform of a Horde soldier, no less. You would pledge to stand with us against those you once served?”

Rapunzel took a breath, and looked Angella in the eyes. “Yes.” 

“Eugene, you would vouch for her and take responsibility for her?” Angella asked.

“Yes.” Eugene said immediately.

Angella nodded. “Then rise.” 

She offered the flower back to Rapunzel. “The Rebellion accepts your allegiance, Sundrop, Princess of the Sun Flower.”

The crowd clapped, hesitant at first, but then turned to loud cheers when Rapunzel took the flower back, chanting in excitement, and the room swelled with hope, filling the air with the sweet smell of new joy. Eugene elbowed Rapunzel. “See Blondie? Told you, nothing to worry about!”

“Welcome to Corona!” Pascal said, throwing his arms around her, a bit giddy. “But for real this time!”

Rapunzel laughed, and for the first time quite possibly the first time ever, felt like she had arrived home.

*** *** ***

Gothel’s grip on Cassandra’s arm was tight as she dragged her to Hector’s private throne room. 

The room was bigger than she had expected, but cluttered. Discarded machines and tools lay around as though a hurricane had swept through it, and in the dim, smog-filtered light, a throne sat on top of a steep staircase, the crimson Horde insignia glowing like a dying ember. There was chittering, and Cassandra saw Hector’s imp scuttle from behind the throne, regarding her with distaste, and then disappear into the shadows.

Cassandra felt nauseous. 

“Lord Hector.” Gothel said. 

There was whirring, and Cassandra saw a machine buzzing away at something in a dark corner. A tall figure stood there, and when they turned, Cassandra saw their eyes reflect yellow. She shivered. 

Human eyes didn’t reflect light like that. 

“Kneel!” Gothel said, throwing Cassandra forward roughly. Cassandra stumbled, landing hard on her knees. She stared at the ground, not wanting to meet Hector’s yellow eyes. They looked like they could suck her soul out.

“I put her in charge of a simple mission,” Gothel's sharp, accusatory voice echoed in the chamber. “To return Force Captain Rapunzel to the Fright Zone. Instead, our forces suffered a humiliating defeat.”

“Then you mean to tell me you’re still down a Force Captain?” Hector asked, not leaving the shadows.

“Yes, my lord,” Gothel admitted. “But rest assured, nothing will stop us from finding Rapunzel and bringing her back.”

“No,” Hector said. “You will elect another Force Captain and resume normal operations.”

Gothel blinked. “But...my lord. Rapunzel is the only viable candidate.”

“You have Cassandra,” Hector said, turning to Cassandra for the first time, and Cassandra wasn’t sure if she wanted his attention or not. “Is she not your ward as well?” 

“Cassandra has been nothing but a disappointment to me!” Gothel snapped.

“If you failed to condition her properly, you have no one but yourself to blame.” Hector said, and Cassandra had to look down to hide her smile. 

“But my lord-” Gothel started, but stopped but Hector raised his hand.

“Enough, I have made my decision,” He said, and turned his gaze to Cassandra once more. “Rise, Force Captain Cassandra.”

In a daze, Cassandra stood, barely believing her luck. Hector stepped forward, never quite leaving the shadows, and extended his hand. Resting in her gloved hand, there was a small badge, identical to the one Rapunzel had been given barely a few days ago. It felt like a millennia ago.

Cassandra took it, and looked up at Hector.

His hair was black and long, tied back messily to keep it from falling in his face. He was pale, which made the long scar across his face stand out more. His yellow eyes regarded Cassandra with curiosity, as though he had not made up her mind about her yet. 

It was a chance. And a chance was all she needed.

Cassandra smiled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> anyways next time the real fun begins!!!!! see you Wednesday!!!!


	4. The Artistry

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i wanna take this moment once again to remind everyone that i am doing my damn darndest best but there are so few characters in the tangled show who are actually important to the plot
> 
> that being said, this chapter is a triple threat for humor, fluff, and angst!

“I can’t believe my mom agreed to let you stay in Corona.” Eugene said, leading Rapunzel down the seemingly endless halls of the palace. The guards stationed there didn’t move, but Rapunzel felt like every single eye watched her as she walked after Eugene. She didn’t blame them, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t uncomfortable.

“Yeah, awesome.” Rapunzel agreed.

“Okay, you’ve seen the dining hall, the throne room, the portrait hall, yada yada, all the boring stuff…” Eugene said. “So the last stop on our grand tour is your new room!” He gestured grandly to a grand door. He pushed it open, and Rapunzel gasped.

It was massive, the curved ceiling climbing up to a glass skylight, bright and warm. It was big enough to hold two barracks, plus half a locker room. 

“Pretty standard stuff,” Eugene said casually. “You got your vanity, bathroom, bell pull, tea nook, more crystals, bed, desk-oh, and the waterfall.” 

Rapunzel turned, seeing that indeed, there was a little waterfall in the corner of the room, emptying into a tiny lily pond. “Is...the waterfall for showering?” Rapunzel asked, a bit taken back by the decadence.

“Heh,” Eugene said, as though Rapunzel had told a clever joke. “I’ll leave you to it, I’m right down the hall if you need anything. Night!”

“Wait-” Rapunzel said, but it was too late. Eugene had already disappeared in a flash of light.

She turned back to the room, slowly. The place had more extravegencies than the entire Fright Zone combined, it was a bit overwhelming to say the least. “Okay…” She told herself. “It’s different from the Fright Zone. But I’ll get the hang of this in no time.”

Rapunzel sat on the bed, and yelped when she instantly sunk into the bed, taken aback by its softness. She thrashed, feeling like she was being sucked into it. 

“Help.” She whimpered, suffocated by comfort.

She turned desperately, managing to somewhat find a foothold, pounding on the bed frantically. “Get flatter!” She snapped at it.

The bed, in response, exploded into a rain of feathers and down, and Rapunzel yelped, stumbling away from her mess. “Oh-”

She ducked out of the room, picking feathers out of her hair. “Eugene?!” She whispered across the dark halls. “I think I killed the bed!”

She rounded a corner, and yelped when she nearly ran into Queen Angella, who glanced at her. “Ma’am! I mean, Your Majesty-sir!” Rapunzel saluted, and then realized Angella was staring at her feathered appearance. 

She frantically tried to brush herself off. “Uh, what are you doing up so late?”

“When I feel the cares of the day weighing upon me, I come here.” Angella said, raising a ball of light in her hands to show a stained glass depiction of a tall man with dark hair and a beard.

“Who’s that?” Rapunzel asked.

“King Edmund,” Angella said. “My husband. He built the Rebellion with me. And he was one of the first casualties of the Horde.”

Rapunzel bit her lip. “I...I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”

“Rapunzel,” Angella said. “My son believes you can help us. Eugene has vouched for you in spite of your background. And because I greatly love my son, I’m willing to give you a chance.”

Angella closed her fist, and the light disappeared. “Do not disappoint him.” She said, and then walked away, leaving Rapunzel alone in the dark halls.

*** *** ***

“How did you get paint up there?!” Eugene asked the next morning. 

Overnight, the blank walls of Rapunzel’s room had turned into a massive mural, colorful art of the forest, Corona, and everything in between covering every square inch of space, even the high ceilings. 

“A lot of stacking,” Rapunzel said, covered in paint. “I-oh no, was I not supposed to?!”

“Did you get any sleep?” Eugene asked, craning his neck to see everything.

“I couldn’t!” Rapunzel said. “I’ve never slept by myself before, and then I ran into your mom, and I don’t think she likes me-”

“What? My mom loves you.” Eugene said.

“She loves the Sundrop,” Rapunzel corrected, and wrung her hands. “Oh, am I in trouble?!”

“You’re not in trouble!” Eugene said, and then sighed. “My mom can be...a little intense. But our weekly meeting with the Rebellion general is today. And you’re invited! She wouldn’t have invited you if she didn’t like you.”

Rapunzel sighed. “You’re right, you’re right...are you sure I’m not in trouble?”

“Positive,” Eugene said, glancing around at the endless mural once more. “You work fast, Blondie. It’s really good too! Do they have art classes in the Horde or something? Some kind of extra credit fine arts thing?”

Rapunzel smiled, looking somewhat more relaxed. “Thanks, Eugene.”

“No problem,” He grinned, lopsided and goofy. “Now try and wash the paint off, we’ve got a war to discuss.”

*** *** ***

The war room was strangely beautiful. 

It was bright, just like everything else in Corona, with colorful stained glass windows depicting long gone, but not forgotten rulers and their victories. 

“Come on, the meetings about to start.” Eugene nudged her forward.

“The chairs are still empty.” Rapunzel said, realizing there were only two women in the room, sitting close to each other. One had long, lavender hair and a smiling face, and the other had shorter, white hair, and looked at Rapunzel with some suspicion. 

“They’re for the other Etherian royals,” Eugene said. “But none of them have been active members since I was a kid. The Rebellion had a big defeat years ago, and most of the old members just...gave up. Now all the kingdoms keep to themselves. And the new royals do the same.”

“Other than Spinnerella and Netossa,” Pascal said, waving excitedly to the women across the table. “Hey guys!”

Unable to resist Pascal’s infectious welcoming spirit, they waved back. “We’re not really sure what they do.” Pascal whispered to Rapunzel.

“Ah.” Rapunzel said, grabbing a seat.

Immediately, the energy shifted to one of horror. Eugene waved his hands at Rapunzel frantically. “What?!” Rapunzel asked. “I don’t understand-”

“This,” Angella said, creeping up behind Rapunzel. “Is not your chair.”

“Sorry.” Eugene said, appearing next to Rapunzel in a flash of light. He grabbed her arm and flashed away. “First day. Won’t happen again.”

“What did I do?” Rapunzel asked.

“You sat in my dad’s chair.” Eugene said.

Rapunzel’s eyes widened. “I’m sorry-”

“I have asked you here because I received a distress call from Princess Fidella,” Angella said. “The Horde is laying siege to her kingdom. She’s asking for assistance from Corona. General?” Angella nodded at a woman in a guard uniform, who stepped forward.

“Fidella’s kingdom, Equis, is located near the front lines.” She said. The table lit up in a holographic projection of the kingdoms, and the general pointed to where Rapunzel assumed Equis must be. “The Horde has set up camp in her territory, cutting off their main supply route.” 

“Corona will provide food and humanitarian aid.” Angella said. 

“I have a better idea,” Eugene said. “We-”

“Fight the Horde?” Angella sighed. “Eugene, you propose this idea every meeting.”

“No…” Eugene said, slightly red-faced. “Just suggesting...a little bit of light throat punching.”

“I said no, Eugene,” Angella said shortly. “Sit down.”

Eugene huffed, and Rapunzel’s mouth opened to offer condolences for being shot down, but instead of that, what came out was: “You should send me, Eugene, and Pascal to lead the mission. You can send me as the Sundrop. I’ll make sure everyone gets there safely and protect Pascal and Eugene if the Horde attacks.”

The table turned to her, and even though there weren’t many people looking at her, Rapunzel felt her confidence waver. She was suddenly acutely aware she still had paint under her fingernails. “I won’t disappoint you. I promise.” Rapunzel said.

“That’s a heavy promise to make.” Angella said.

“I don’t break promises,” Rapunzel said. “Ever.”

Angella was quiet, and then sighed. “Very well. You will deliver food and supplies to Equis. And under no circumstances will you engage the Horde.”

Eugene and Pascal glanced at each other and grinned.

“You leave at dawn.” Angella nodded. 

*** *** ***

“Where’s Cassandra?!” Adira said, struggling to keep a robot from whacking her. “She’s supposed to be here!”

“Not anymore,” Cassandra said, entering the training arena with a big grin on her face. “Cadet Adira.” She added as an afterthought.

“Why aren’t you wearing training gear?” Adira asked, ignoring Kyle being swung around like a ragdoll.

“Oh, Adira,” Cassandra chuckled. “Sweet, dumb Adira.” She tapped the badge pinned to her chest, and Adira’s mouth fell open in shock. 

“They made you Force Captain?!” She asked. 

“Congrats, Cassandra!” Kyle said, yelping when the robot tossed him aside. 

“Hector knows a good thing when he sees it,” Cassandra said. “Now that I’m in charge, Gothel won’t be the only one…” She trailed off when she saw Adira looking at something behind her, and whirled around to see Gothel staring at her with the same expression one might have if they were smelling sewage.

Cassandra coughed and saluted shakily. Gothel jerked her head for her to follow, and Cassandra followed her out. “What do you need, Gothel?” She asked, and then perked up. “Oh, are you giving me my first mission?!”

“You will explain how you lost Force Captain Rapunzel.” Gothel snapped, whirling around to face her, expression venomous. 

Cassandra groaned. “I’ve told you everything I know about Rapunzel!”

“I know you’re lying,” Gothel hissed. “You have to be lying. What happened to Rapunzel? What did you do?”

“What did I do?!” Cassandra snapped. “She left us! She left me! You ever think that Rapunzel’s not as loyal as you thought?!”

Gothel stepped forward, shadows surrounding her. “I will learn the truth, Cassandra, even if I have to drag it-” She winced suddenly, stumbling back. The shadows retreated, and Gothel clutched her head as though it suddenly pained her.

“Gothel?” Cassandra asked, suddenly scared for her. Gothel looked more haggard than she usually was, the shine from her hair disappearing faster than it usually did. Her face was lined, her eyes tired and dull. Cassandra reached out for her, but Gothel drew back.

“Out of my way!” She snapped, leaving the room quickly, stooped over in what might have been pain, but it was just as likely embarrassment. 

The shadows were gone, but Cassandra felt just as awful.

*** *** ***

“Mom didn’t say anything about all the plants dying.” Eugene said, kneeling down to inspect a patch of wilting flowers at the edge of the Equis relief camp.

“I don’t think she knows,” Pascal said, and then he frowned. “Wait, where’s Rapunzel?”

On cue, a glow appeared behind them, and there was the Sundrop, easily lifting a massive crate of supplies with a grin on her face.

Eugene frowned. “Are you going to be the Sundrop the entire time we’re here?”

“I told Queen Angella I would,” She said. “Besides, people like me better as the Sundrop. Could Rapunzel do this?” She lifted the crate with one arm, grinning. 

“Very useful to the mission.” Eugene said dryly. 

“Um, guys?” Pascal asked. “What’s that?” 

He pointed to a plume of smoke rising from a large patch of dying briar. “Must be coming from the Horde camp.” The Sundrop said.

“You’re here!” An excited voice said. A smiling young woman rushed up to them, her long chestnut hair interwoven with ivy and flowers. Her face was covered in freckles, and her hazel eyes were filled with kindness.

“Princess Fidella,” Eugene said. “I’m Commander Eugene-” He offered his hand, but Fidella flicked her wrist, and a bouquet appeared in his hand, and a flower crown around Pascal.

Pascal smiled. “I get a hat!”

Fidella caught sight of the Sundrop and gasped, her face lighting up. “Oh-oh my! Everyone, come here quick!” She waved over her surrounding subjects. “It’s...it’s…!”

The Sundrop looked surprised by the sudden crowd, and she stepped back. “The universe has heard our pleas and sent the legendary Sundrop to help us save our home!”

The Sundrop blinked, glancing at Pascal, who gave her a thumbs up. She set the crate down and cleared her throat, looking out upon the crowd of hope filled faces.

“We’ve heard about the blockade,” She said. “And we’re here to help!”

The crowd waited.

“We…” The Sundrop gestured vaguely. “We brought food and supplies for you.”

Fidella smiled widely. “Welcome to Equis, Sundrop!”

*** *** ***

“Our people have lived in tranquility here for thousands of years,” Fidella said, leading them through the flora-filled relief camp. “We’re known for our beautiful flowers, majestic trees-” Fidella gently touched a plant, and it bloomed, only to wilt away seconds later. 

“And this is the Heart Blossom, the center of our kingdom,” Fidella said, gesturing to a massive tree, reaching up with delicate pink flowers as if to touch the sky itself. “And the source of my magical powers!”

“At least this tree is fine,” Pascal said, looking around at the ever creeping closer decay and rot. “What happened to everything else?”

Fidella’s face dropped slightly. “We’re...going through a little rough patch right now. But I’m sure the universe will right itself soon!”

“Everything is dead or dying.” Eugene said, a bit tactless.

“Look, the blight hit right after the Horde arrived,” Fidella said. “We don’t know why, and nothing I do stops it. But we don’t dwell on the negative! Look at the positive! The Heart Blossom is still healthy, and the Sundrop is here!” She spread her hands, and a thick flower necklace appeared around the Sundrop’s neck. “And the celebration is about to begin!”

“Celebration?” The Sundrop asked, but Fidella grabbed her arm, dragging her away.

*** *** ***

Gothel placed her hands on the massive red gem, scowling when power didn’t immediately flood her body.

Since Rapunzel had departed, the Black Garnet had been touchy, outright refusing to give Gothel her power at certain times, and when it did, it drained away quickly. 

Gothel growled, rage bubbling inside her. “You will not refuse me!” She pushed against the gem, and it relented. 

The room shined with a crimson glow, and Gothel smiled when she felt aches and pains leave her, the lines of her face smoothing out, and her gray hair turning black. And most importantly, power spreading through her veins once again.

She sighed in relief, and then stiffened when the screens of the chamber buzzed to life. “Lord Hector!” She said.

He scowled at her, his stupid little imp sitting in his lap. “You have disobeyed my orders, Gothel.” Hector said. 

“I have done no such thing,” Gothel said. “My will is your will.”

“Then explain to me why you’ve requisitioned more troops to look for one missing soldier,” He snapped. “A soldier I ordered you to give up on.”

Gothel clenched her fists. “Finding Rapunzel is crucial to the Horde’s-”

“Our mission is to kill the Whispering Woods so we can finally march on Corona!” Hector snapped, slamming his fist on the side of his throne. The imp squeaked and fled. “Our mission is to destroy the royals and their ridiculous little Rebellion!” He sat back, his yellow eyes fixed on Gothel. “You are distracted, Gothel. Our ground troops demand your full attention. The siege on Equis has gone on for too long. Give the order to increase power until victory is achieved.”

He leaned forward. “And never forget,” He hissed. “I gave you your power. And at my slightest whim, I will take it away, and you will crumble to dust. Understand?”

Gothel’s fingernails dug into her palm, but she managed a stiff bow. “Of course, Lord Hector.”

The screen turned off.

Gothel’s temper broke loose, and with a furious scream, shadows engulfed the room.

*** *** ***

“No no,” The Sundrop said, turning away a bowl of fruit. “It’s okay, you need this stuff more than we do.”

“Nonsense!” An old woman smiled. “It’s our honor to serve the Sundrop.”

“We’re so happy to have you here,” Fidella said. “After all these centuries of being gone, you’ve finally returned! And at our hour of greatest need, just like the stories!”

“What stories?” The Sundrop asked.

Fidella giggled. “The stories we’ve been telling for thousands of years!” She waved her hand, and a branch moved aside, showing carved images of the Sundrop performing various incredible feats.

“The Sundrop, who tamed the beasts of Tarapati Island with a single word!” Fidella exclaimed. 

“That’s nothing,” Pascal said. “What about the time the Sundrop defeated a squadron of Horde soldiers on a flying horse? Or when she saved Pincosta from Horde soldiers? Or the time she borrowed my toothbrush and used it to defeat an army of soldiers?”

“Pascal, that’s not true.” The Sundrop said.

“You’re right,” Pascal grinned. “It was two armies!”

The crowd cheered, renewed interest making them rush up to her. “Alright, hey! One at a time!” Eugene said. “Uh, you first!” He said, pointing to a small child.

The child grinned, handing the Sundrop some kind of bowl with dangling beads. “Oh! Thank you, for the…” She paused. 

“Wind chime.” Eugene whispered. 

“Wind chime!” The Sundrop smiled. 

An explosion went off in the distance, and the Sundrop paused, but Fidella smiled as though she didn’t hear it. “We’re so excited for you to heal our land and bring our plants back to life. Will you be doing it before the drum circle or after?” 

The Sundrop blinked. “You want me to heal your land?”

“Yes!” Fidella laughed. “Like in the ancient story, ‘The Sundrop Heals the Forest and Brings the Trees Back to Life’.”

“I’ve seen her do way weirder stuff,” Eugene said breezily. “This’ll be a snap.”

“Hey, hey, it’s not that simple,” The Sundrop said quickly. “Plus, I don’t like the look of that smoke.” She motioned to the rising ash that seemed slightly closer. 

“The Horde is up to something big, maybe we should investigate.” The Sundrop said.

“We?” Fidella said, looking around at her gathered subjects. She frowned. “This is my power.” She cupped her hands, and a bright blossom appeared in her palms. “I grow plants.” She handed the blossom to the Sundrop, and it shriveled.

“We’re not…” Fidella frowned. “Warriors. We’re not strong enough to go up against the Horde. All we want is to live peacefully in our ancestral home. We need you, Sundrop.”

The Sundrop looked out upon the adoring, trusting faces of the people of Equis, and forced herself to smile. “Yes,” She said. “Healing! That is a thing...that I know how to do! I just...need to take Pascal and Eugene over to the trees for a moment.” She grabbed the two, dragging them away. “I know what I’m doing!” She assured the villagers.

*** *** ***

“I don’t know what I’m doing!” The Sundrop said, pacing. “I can’t heal anything!”

“But the stories say you have healing powers.” Pascal said. 

“They also say I fought the Kirloc,” The Sundrop said. “I don’t know what that is!” 

“Why don’t you just concentrate really hard?” Eugene suggested. “Think...healing thoughts. That seems to work whenever you need to transform.”

The Sundrop sighed. “Okay.”

She shut her eyes, and a few moments later, her hair lit up. She stretched out her hand, and felt a surge of power from it. “Did I do it?”

“You punched a tree with light.” Pascal said. 

The Sundrop frowned. “Let me try again.” She held the flower, and shut her eyes. She felt more power run through her, and jumped when she heard a yelp. Eugene and Pascal just barely dodged a blast of pure light that ripped a hole through the forest.

“Magic blast,” Eugene said. “Cool, but not healing.”

“Let me try again-” The Sundrop said, but Pascal squeaked.

“Please don’t unless you’re sure,” He said breathlessly, still lying on the ground from his close call. “I don’t want to be...smited by light.”

The Sundrop groaned. 

“Hey, don’t worry, you’ll get it soon.” Eugene said.

“Soon isn’t good enough. These people are expecting me to save their land.” The Sundrop said. She sighed. “I thought I was better as the Sundrop, but I’m useless no matter what form I take!” 

Pascal opened his mouth to argue, but suddenly there was an explosion, much closer this time. His flower crown wilted away, and he gasped in horror. “My hat!”

“Sundrop!” Fidella rushed up to them, looking panicked. “Come quickly, something terrible has happened!”

*** *** ***

The Heart Blossom stood lopsided, leaning under its own weight. Its once vibrant color had disappeared, and the decaying, dried leaves shriveled, falling to the ground in clumps whenever a breeze blew by. Thick, vein-like lines spread across from the tree’s center, filled with a sickly yellow liquid. 

“The Heart Blossom is dying,” Fidella said. “Please, Sundrop. Heal our land.”

The Sundrop glanced at Pascal and Eugene, who nodded encouragingly. She took a breath and stepped forward, placing a hand on the tree. She closed her eyes, desperate. 

She felt power surge through her, and her hair began to glow. “Come on, do something.” She whispered. But nothing happened. If anything, the sickly yellow veins spread across the tree.

The Sundrop sighed, stepping away. There was a flash of light, and Rapunzel was back. The crowd gasped and murmured. 

“I’m sorry,” Rapunzel said. “I don’t know how to heal.”

“Who are you?!” Someone called. “And where’s the Sundrop?!”

“My name is Rapunzel. I was chosen to carry the Sun Flower,” Rapunzel frowned. “But I haven’t been doing it for very long, and...I don’t know exactly how it works yet.”

“She’s just a girl!” Someone cried.

“I never meant to deceive you!” Rapunzel said. “I am the Sundrop, just not the same Sundrop from your stories.”

“Then…” Fidella bit her lip. “You can’t save us?”

There was an explosion, closer than ever, and the crowd collapsed into panic. “Wait!” Rapunzel said. “There might be another way. I know the Horde. I think they’re using one of the machines to poison your land. If you wanna save your home, we have to stop them!” 

“You’re not the Sundrop from the stories!” Someone shouted. “You were supposed to save us!”

“It’ll be alright, I promise,” Fidella said quickly. “We’ll rebuild. We have to believe the universe will repay the Horde for their evil deeds.”

“The universe won’t protect you!” Eugene burst out. “You just want the Sundrop to fix everything! But you won’t even try to save yourselves. At least Rapunzel’s trying!” 

“If the Sundrop can’t save us,” Fidella said. “No one can. Right now we just need to make sure our people are safe. We leave today.” 

Fidella turned, walking off, spring in her step gone. 

Rapunzel’s heart twisted, and she looked down. “Are you okay?” Eugene asked.

“I…” Rapunzel sighed. “I just wanted to help. But all I’ve done is disappoint an entire kingdom. I’m sorry I let you guys down after you talked me up.”

“We just wanted everyone to see what an awesome person you are,” Pascal said. “I thought I was being supportive, but I was actually being terrible!”

“Rapunzel, the Sundrop isn’t the reason we like you,” Eugene said. “We like you because you’re our friend.”

There was another explosion, so close Rapunzel could feel the energy from the blast. She stood up. “You have a plan, don’t you?” Eugene asked. 

“I think I do.” Rapunzel smiled.

*** *** ***

“This is a little oversized.” Pascal said, his Horde soldier uniform rattling. 

“They don’t make children’s sizes.” Eugene grinned.

Pascal opened his mouth to retort, but Rapunzel shook her head. “Oh, they do.”

Eugene and Pascal glanced at each other, slightly horrified, but Rapunzel didn’t seem to notice, peeking out from behind the trees. “All clear.” She said.

The three donned their helmet, concealing their identities. They dashed out and behind a tent, and Rapunzel paused. “Okay, every Horde camp is laid out the same,” She said. “We need to find the machine. Every guard duty is in half hour shifts. So we walk in when the shift changes in three...two...one!”

She rushed out, followed by the others. “Shift change!” She told the other three guards.

“Finally,” They huffed. “I swear, boring shifts go by slower.”

They left, and the trio ducked inside the tent.

There was a massive machine, filled with bubbling gray liquid. Pipes pierced the ground, pumping it into the decaying earth. “You were right,” Eugene said, removing his helmet to get a better look. “The Horde is poisoning the land.”

“Hey!” Someone shouted, and the three whirled around to see a guard pointing a baton at them. “What are you doing here?!”

Rapunzel scoffed. “What are _you_ doing here? We have security clearance, password five-echo-niner. Now be on your way.” She shooed the guard.

“We haven’t used that password in months.” The guard said darkly.

“Rapunzel, what do we do?!” Pascal asked.

Rapunzel bit her lip. “Run!” 

*** *** ***

“Hey,” One of the villagers approached Fidella, holding a note. “The guys from Corona left.”

Fidella frowned, and took the note. “‘We’ve gone to the Horde camp to find what’s killing your tree,’” She read aloud. “‘If we don’t make it, I wanted to say I’m sorry I couldn’t be the hero you wanted. Sincerely, Rapunzel.’”

Fidella frowned, watching the smoke of her kingdom climb into the horizon, blotting out the slowly decaying green. She sighed. “She’s still trying, even though we were so negative...Eugene was right.”

She gestured around her. “This is our home, we can’t let her do this alone!” 

She stepped forward, raising her arms to grab everyone’s attention. “Everyone! The Sundrop and our friends from Corona are risking their lives to protect us from the Horde! We need to help them!”

Fidella pointed to the smoke with a new purpose. “Get the war chimes!” She commanded. “We march!”

*** *** ***

Pascal struggled to keep up, tossing off bits of armor when he could. “Why is it so heavy?!”

Two guards rounded the corner, and began shooting at the trio with green laser beams from their batons. Rapunzel threw herself at Eugene, just managing to push him out of the way. 

“You know I can teleport, right?” Eugene said.

“You weren’t doing it fast enough.” Rapunzel retorted, yanking him to his feet, following Pascal behind a stack of crates. 

She glanced out, seeing the soldiers racing to them. “How many can you take?”

“Between one, and…” Pascal panted. “Zero.”

“I can take them all if you give me a minute to catch my breath.” Eugene wheezed. 

They didn’t have a minute. Soldiers surrounded them, weapons at the ready, stepping forward in a well practiced kill circle. Rapunzel balled her fists, hoping she could buy Eugene and Pascal some time to get away-

There was a long wail from a horn, and the soldiers paused. Thick green vines snaked over the metal wall, yanking it down as if it were tissue paper. Fidella rode the wave of vines, a big grin on her face. 

“I always said the universe would repay the Horde someday,” She laughed. “And today is that day!” 

A soldier charged, but the vine swatted them aside with ease. With a surprisingly good war cry, the villagers charged into the camp, attacking the soldiers with gusto and purpose that seemed to catch the Horde off guard. The Horde had weapons, but the villagers had sheer numbers.

Eugene blinked away, in front of a soldier. The soldier threw a punch, but Eugene teleported right behind him. “Try again.”

The soldier whirled around, trying to punch Eugene again, but he teleported away again, and the soldier gave his comrade a swift uppercut instead.

“Your reflexes are pretty bad.” Eugene said, throwing a flash of blinding light into the soldier’s face. They stumbled back with a cry, and were promptly run over by Fidella’s sea of vines. 

Rapunzel ducked an attack, twisting another’s arm and throwing them back. She unpinned the flower from her hair and held it up. “For the honor of Der Sonne!” 

Power surged through her, and she felt her hair stretch and glow. The Sundrop threw two thick strands of hair at the guards by the machine, yanking them away. She easily ripped the metal door away, and ran inside.

The Sundrop spread her arms wide, and her hair spread, wrapping around the machine like an anaconda. “For Etheria!” She cried, and a pulse of glowing energy shuddered through the machine, and it shook, powering down.

Outside, the slowly growing decay halted, and Fidella laughed, spreading her arms. The once sickly plants instantly bounded back tenfold, beginning to swallow the Horde camp. The soldiers shrieked, ripping vines and flowers of themselves as nature threatened to overrun them. “Retreat!”

The villagers cheered, chasing the remaining soldiers away. Fidella clapped, overjoyed, and rushed forward to hug the Sundrop when she emerged from the machine room. 

“Thank you so much!” She cried. “You inspired us to save ourselves. How can we ever repay you?”

Eugene coughed. “You could, hypothetically, join the Rebellion and help us reform the Royal Alliance.”

Fidella blinked. “Um, are you sure? Didn’t that, like, end horribly the first time?” 

“It went horribly for our parents,” Eugene corrected. “We have a chance to do it right. We’re clearly stronger together. Think of what we could all do united!”

Fidella frowned, deep in thought. “Well…” She paused. “Would I get to hit more people with flowers?” 

“Uh, sure,” Eugene said. “You can be Chief of Flower Attacks.”

Fidella smiled brightly, looking distinctly non-violent. “Fantastic! You have a deal.”

She turned to her gathered subjects, giggling. “Look everyone! We’re mighty rebels now!”

The crowd cheered, and Pascal elbowed Eugene. “Do you think you’ll get in trouble for this?”

“Don’t ruin the moment.” Eugene whispered.

*** *** ***

Cassandra entered Gothel’s chamber, saluting. “Force Captain Cassandra reporting-”

“This,” Gothel said, staring at a screen, not turning around. “Was brought to me by retreating soldiers. Retreating because their camp was attacked by Rapunzel and the Sundrop.” 

The screen was static for a moment, and then showed first Rapunzel fighting off Horde soldiers, and then that blonde woman, tall and mighty, tossing aside guards with her hair as though they were nothing.

“Pathetic,” Gothel spat, circling Cassandra. “You’re still trying to protect her. Did you think you could keep the truth from me?”

“She’s just confused,” Cassandra said quickly. “I’ll bring her back in, I swear.”

“Yes, you will,” Gothel said. “Because until I say otherwise, that is your mission. And to ensure success, no matter where Rapunzel goes, no matter how long it takes, my shadow spies will find her.”

She turned to her basin, and raised her arms. Solid shadows with red, evil eyes rose out, and Cassandra stumbled back, hating how they filled her with dread and fear. They whispered to each other, and it sent a chill down Cassandra’s back.

“Find Rapunzel,” Gothel told the shadows as they slunk out of the room like snakes. “And bring her home!”

*** *** ***

“What’s this?” Rapunzel asked, walking into the room and finding Eugene and Pascal setting up pillows on the ground. 

“You mentioned you never slept in a room by yourself before,” Eugene said. “Pascal and I figured we could have a sleepover, and then you won’t feel so alone.”

“Even got you a new bed!” Pascal said, pointing at the smaller, more simple bed that had replaced the evil feathered one.

“Aw, you guys!” Rapunzel grinned.

“We can do this tomorrow to,” Pascal said. “Since Eugene’s grounded again for ignoring orders.”

“For one week!” Eugene said. “That’s three weeks less than normal! And Mom said she’d consider my plan to reform the Royal Alliance!”

“The journal!” Pascal coughed.

“Ah, right, thanks.” Eugene said, grabbing something that had been on the floor next to him. He handed it to Rapunzel. It was a thick leather book, the pages blank and empty.

“What’s this?” Rapunzel asked.

“You filled up the walls,” Eugene gestured to the mural on the walls. “And I don’t think you should paint any more walls in the castle. So I got this for you so you can still draw and paint in it without causing any property damage.”

Rapunzel smiled widely, flipping through the pages, already imagining what she could draw. There was already so much to recreate from today. She’d have a stack of journals in no time. “Thanks, guys,” She said. “I might not be a perfect hero, but that’s okay.”

“Ugh,” Eugene said, throwing a pillow at her. “Of course not. Do you have any idea how annoying that would be if you were perfect?”

“Hey!” Rapunzel frisbee-ed the pillow back, and it hit him in the chest.

“Best Friends Squad!” Pascal grinned happily.

“We’re not calling ourselves that.” Rapunzel said.

“I like ‘Team Eugene’. Kinda rhymes. Catchy.” Eugene said.

“Nah,” Pascal grinned. “We’re the Best Friends Squad.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fidella: I'm a healer, but
> 
> yeah so next chapter is the one im really excited for :)))))


	5. Arson and Adventure

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> could i have used that mermaid that showed up for one episode as mermista's replacement? yes, but mermista deserves more than that and i think my choice both fits and is hilarious
> 
> could i have used that eugene look alike guy for sea hawk? yes, but i dont care about him so i didnt
> 
> i got nothing to say about scorpia's replacement because that one fits in really well actually

“Council, we’re looking for plans to strengthen our defenses against the Horde,” Angella said, fingers interlaced. “Who would like to go first?” She looked across the still mostly empty war room table.

Eugene’s hand shot up. Angella sighed. “Who besides Eugene would like to go first?”

“Mom-” Eugene paused, standing up. “Your Majesty, you should allow Pascal, Rapunzel, and I to continue our royal recruitment mission. If we can form a new Royal Alliance, the Rebellion would actually stand a chance for once.”

“The royals withdrew from the last alliance,” Angella said. “They chose to focus on protecting their own lands.”

“So are we just supposed to give up?” Eugene asked. “Let me try. All I'm proposing is a diplomatic mission.”

Angella sighed. “What do you propose?”

“We set out to recruit the royals, one by one,” Eugene said. “We’ve already got Fidella. If we can convince the others-”

“Equis isn’t exactly a powerhouse,” The general said. “If we want to convince the royals we’re serious, we’ll need a powerful kingdom on our side.”

“Like who?” Eugene asked.

The general glanced at Angella, and then back at Eugene. “Well...I was thinking of Vardaros.”

Eugene pursed his lips. “Ah.”

“Hm,” Angella said. “That’s true. Vardaros is a lynchpin for travel and navigation, and anyone approaching us by sea needs to pass through their Sea Gate. Having them on our side would be a powerful message to both the surrounding kingdoms and the Horde.”

“Yes, but-” Eugene started, but the general interrupted.

“It’s controlled by the princess now that her father’s retired,” She said. “With her on our side, the Rebellion could control the seas. That is…” The general paused. “If Prince Eugene is willing too-”

“I am! I’ll go. We all will.” He gestured to Rapunzel and Pascal.

“What’s wrong with Vardaros?” Rapunzel whispered.

“I’ll explain later.” Pascal promised.

Angella looked surprised by Eugene’s determination, but still pursed her lips. “I’m not sure, Eugene. The journey is a treacherous one.”

“Don’t worry, Mom,” Eugene said. “With the Sundrop, we can conquer anything.”

“We’re also gonna need a boat.” Rapunzel said.

“With the Sundrop and a boat, we can conquer anything.” Eugene said.

“And an experienced sea captain.” Pascal added.

“Yes, yes,” Eugene grumbled. “With all that, we can conquer anything.”

“Very well.” Angella said, and Eugene blinked, looking surprised. 

“Really?! I-thank you!” Eugene grinned widely.

“And it is purely diplomatic!” Angella said. “I mean it, Eugene, no violence, no collateral damage-and no starting any new fights!”

“New fights?” Rapunzel asked.

“Thanks Mom!” Eugene said. “You won’t regret it!”

*** *** ***

“So is anyone gonna tell me why Eugene doesn’t want to go to Vardaros?” Rapunzel asked.

“What?!” Eugene said. “Who said I didn’t want to go to Vardaros? I love Vardaros! It’s great, all watery, an important piece to the alliance-”

“Eugene’s ex is the princess.” Pascal said.

“Pascal!” Eugene squawked.

“Seriously?” Rapunzel asked.

“Princess Stalyan,” Pascal nodded. “It was pretty messy.”

“Why’d you break up?” Rapunzel asked. 

“It’s none of your business.” Eugene said.

“She thought Eugene was reckless and stupid,” Pascal said. “And Eugene though she was cold and rude.”

“She is!” Eugene said.

“Are you sure this is a good idea?” Rapunzel asked.

“It’ll be fine,” Eugene said, pausing at the entrance to the coastal tavern. “I’m great at professionalism.”

He ducked inside, and Pascal and Rapunzel shared a look before following him in.

The tavern was loud, jaunty music just barely audible over the chatter and shouting of the most fish-people patrons. They laughed, drank, and occasionally fought with merriment. Pascal grinned. “This is so cool! Seaworthy is exactly how I imagined it. Everyone here looks like a pirate!”

“Focus, Pascal,” Eugene said. “We’re here to find a sea captain.”

“No pirates?” Pascal asked.

“No pirates.” Eugene shook his head.

“Arrr.” Pascal said sadly.

“No one here really looks qualified to sail a ship, though...” Eugene frowned, turning to Rapunzel. “Hey, Blondie, can-she’s gone.”

“Excuse me!” Rapunzel said, smiling, leaning over the bar to catch the barmaid’s attention. The fish-woman turned to her, a slight scowl on her face. “Do you know where we can find a sea captain?”

The woman grunted, pointing silently to someone in the corner just as they beat a muscular fish person in an arm-wrestling contest. The fish person scowled, and the tiny crowd cheered. “I won!” The winner said. “Drinks all around, put it on my friend’s tab here.”

Rapunzel grinned at Eugene and Pascal. “There we go!”

Eugene sighed, approaching the table as the crowd dispersed. “Uh, hi,” He said. “Are you a sea captain?”

The man in the booth gave a smile, though it was a bit obscured by his extravagant mustache. “I am the one and only Sea Hawk,” He declared with a smile, and jumped onto the table in a grandiose style. “Has my reputation preceded me?”

“Your name is Sea Hawk?!” Pascal gasped. “That’s the coolest name I ever heard!”

“Captain Sea Hawk,” Eugene said, stepping forward. “We’re interviewing potential captains to take us to Vardaros. Would you like to apply for the position?”

Sea Hawk laughed, sitting back down. “Apply for the position? I am the one and only Sea Hawk. I offer only.”

“Okay,” Rapunzel said. “Just because ‘sea’ is in your name-which yeah, I guess is cool-doesn’t mean you’re any good. Do you have qualifications?”

“Qualifications?!” Sea Hawk sputtered. “I once ran the 50-klick Galebreath Gauntlet in less than twenty clicks! I maneuvered the Serpentine with nary a chip in the paint of my bow. My shanties are considered so desirable that sirens fling themselves into the sea at the sound of them. And I can tell you’re wondering, and yes,” He grinned. “My mustache is naturally shiny.”

“Wow,” Pascal breathed. “You’re hired!”

Eugene elbowed him.

“Woah, there, kids,” Sea Hawk chuckled. “What makes you think you can afford me?”

“I can assure you, Captain Sea Hawk,” Eugene said. “Money is no object.”

Sea Hawk drew a long, skinny slip of paper from his breast pocket. “My fee.” He said, handing it to Eugene. He looked at it and blinked.

“Is that...even a real number?” Rapunzel asked.

“Money might be an object.” Eugene admitted. He scowled, tossing the paper back at Sea Hawk. “You know what? Fine. We’ll find another sea captain.”

“Good luck with that,” Sea Hawk chuckled. “You won’t find another soul who knows the treacherous route to Vardaros like I do. I brave it often to visit my close, personal friend, Princess Stalyan.”

Eugene blinked. “You know her?”

“Oh, do I!” Sea Hawk grinned. 

“Alright then,” Rapunzel said, sitting down in front of Sea Hawk, holding her arm out. “Here’s the deal. One round, winner takes all. I win, you take us to Vardaros for free. You win, we leave you alone.”

“That’s a terrible deal.” Sea Hawk said. He smiled slightly, glancing at Rapunzel. “Not to doubt you, lassie, but are you sure you want to go against me? I’m the undefeated arm wrestling champion. You did see what I did to Sam, right? Hey Sam!” He waved at the loser fish, who scowled.

“I’ll be fine. Come on, why not? Unless…” Rapunzel frowned. “Unless you’re too scared to try.”

“I am not afraid of anything!” Sea Hawk said, grabbing Rapunzel’s hand.

“Go!” Rapunzel said, immediately pushing. Sea Hawk looked surprised by her strength, and then immediately fought back, straining.

“Go, Rapunzel!” Pascal cheered. “Put him in the dirt!”

“This is stupid.” Eugene said.

“Is that the best you’ve got?” Sea Hawk heckled. “I once beat a Tyrannosaur in an arm wrestling match that last two weeks-oh!” The back of his hand hit the table, and Rapunzel grinned.

“Woo!” She high fived Pascal.

Sea Hawk blinked, and then coughed. “W-well, truth be told. I let you win to boost your confidence,” He coughed. “I’ve been wanting to go to Vardaros anyway!”

He vaulted over the table, slinging an arm around Eugene, who scowled. “Come on kids!” He said.

He pointed grandly. “To adventure!”

They were too distracted by Sea Hawk’s yelling to see the shadow with red eyes in the corner, staring at them.

*** *** ***

“Rapunzel is in Seaworthy,” Gothel said, staring into the basin. “I’ll give you one more chance to bring her back.”

“Didn’t Hector just order you to stop going after Rapunzel?” Cassandra asked.

“And who is going to tell him?” Gothel asked, turning to Cassandra. “You?”

Cassandra scowled. “Fine. About time you started treating me like a Force Captain anyway. I’ll bring her back.”

“Not so fast,” Gothel said. “You really think I would trust you to do this alone? You’ll be joined by Force Captain Lance.”

A shadow fell over Cassandra, and she stepped back, staring up at the tall man who had emerged from the shadows. She paused, unsure whether to forge an alliance or count him as an enemy.

Then the man grinned widely, ruining his stoic and scary demeanor. “Hey! Just so you know, I’m a hugger.”

“What?” Cassandra asked, but it was too late. Lance swept her up in a tight hug, and she wheezed. She thrashed, managing to escape him, stumbling to Gothel.

“Is this some kind of joke?!” She demanded.

“Lance will see that you are kept in line.” Gothel nodded to him. Lance smiled good-naturedly.

“Ugh,” Cassandra scowled. “Fine. You’re at least giving me a vehicle, right?”

Gothel smiled, and Cassandra didn’t like it.

*** *** ***

Cassandra gripped the edges of the Horde water vessel tightly, tensing everytime they jostled, even slightly. She felt nauseous.

“I love boats,” Lance said. “Don’t you? Wind in your face, ocean at your side, miles and miles from the nearest dry land, watery death awaiting at the slightest mishap-”

“Please,” Cassandra gasped. “Shut up.”

Lance frowned. “You’re not a boat person?”

“Clearly,” Cassandra snapped. “I’m not a fan of swimming in general.”

“Aw,” Lance cooed. “You’re like a little cat.”

“I am not.” Cassandra said.

“A wildcat.” Lance mused.

The boat lurched, and Cassandra stumbled back with a shriek. She scowled, realizing Adira, Kyle, and Rogelio were staring at her. “What are you looking at?!” She snapped. “Get back to doing...boat things!”

*** *** ***

“Welcome aboard the _Dragon’s Daughter, Three_.” Sea Hawk said, gesturing from the crow’s nest. The sleek, silver vessel streaked through the water as though flying.

“What happened to One and Two?” Rapunzel asked.

“Tragically, they went down in flames.” Sea Hawk said.

“What happened?” Pascal asked. 

“Oh, I set them on fire.” Sea Hawk said. 

Eugene blinked. “I’m sorry, what?!”

“Adventure!” Sea Hawk declared, leaping down from the nest and to the bow of the boat, pointing dramatically.

“Are we sure about this guy?” Rapunzel whispered. 

“Definitely not,” Eugene said. “He’s making Stalyan seem almost bearable. Maybe that’s why he likes her. Two awful people, being awful together.”

“Aw,” Pascal said. “A story for the ages.”

“You’ll be expected to earn your keep by helping out around the ship, of course,” Sea Hawk said. “Never fear, I’ll teach you all you need to know. In shanty form! Oh-”

His song was cut short when he noticed Pascal tying a rope down to a hook on the ground. “What are you doing?” He asked.

“Oh!” Pascal smiled. “I noticed your mainsail wasn’t secure, so I fixed it!”

Sea Hawk frowned. “Tying a proper knot is a task that takes years to master. Did you do these just now?”

Pascal was practically glowing. “Yeah!” 

“Excellent work,” Sea Hawk said. “Even if it is just beginner’s luck. We’ll also need to set a lookout!”

He rushed over to Eugene, slinging his arm around his shoulder again. “Come on, Sparkle! We’ll sing a shanty duet and I’ll show you how to climb the ratlines!”

Sea Hawk opened his mouth to start the song, but Eugene scowled. “Pass.” He said, and disappeared to the top of the crow’s nest. Sea Hawk stumbled. 

“How did he-” Sea Hawk started, but Rapunzel waved.

“I unfurled the jib!” She said.

“By yourself?” Sea Hawk looked shocked. “Not even an experienced sailor such as me could do it alone.”

“So what you’re saying is I’m better at this than you?” Rapunzel grinned.

“And the name is Eugene, by the way.” Eugene said, appearing next to Rapunzel. 

“Well…” Sea Hawk said slowly. “You are a strangely overqualified crew. What do you even need old Sea Hawk for?”

“Your map.” Eugene said dully. 

Sea Hawk frowned, but dug a rolled up piece of paper out of his jacket pocket, and handed it to Eugene. Eugene smiled, and blinked back up to the crow’s nest. “Can we focus on the super important mission at stake now?” He asked. “More sailing, less shanty-ing.”

Sea Hawk frowned, and then perked up. “Of course, Eli!” He said. “A top secret mission from the queen. I’ll get you there straight away. I’m as excited to see my dearest Stalyan as I know she is to see me.”

“I’m sure,” Eugene grumbled. “And my name is Eugene! Eli isn’t even close!”

But it was too late. Sea Hawk was already shanty-ing.

*** *** ***

“Something’s wrong,” Eugene said, looking up from the map and to the rocks poking out of the water in front of them. “According to the map, we’re way off course. And I don’t like the looks of those rocks.”

“Yeah!” Pascal cheered, too busy watching Rapunzel engage in another arm wrestling match with Sea Hawk. “Go Rapunzel!”

Rapunzel pushed Sea Hawk’s hand to the tabletop, and smirked victoriously. “Yeah!”

Sea Hawk scowled. “Best three out of five?”

“No!” Eugene teleported down to them. “No more arm wrestling. There’s a ship graveyard in the distance and we’re heading straight for it. Is anyone else worried about this?”

The ship suddenly lurched, and the four stumbled. “What was that?!” Eugene asked.

“Aha! We’re here!” Sea Hawk said grandly. The ship shuddered again, making the water around them churn. 

Eugene rushed to the edge of the boat, and was nearly thrown overboard when something very, very big rammed into the boat. “The Serpent of the Sea!” Sea Hawk grinned. “I knew he’d be lurking in these waters.”

“Wait,” Eugene said, looking startled. “You brought us here on purpose?!” 

The boat tilted again, and this time, a long creature breached the surface. It was slimy and green gray, at least equal to the size of the vessel, and twice as thick. 

“You see, I don’t just give you transportation,” Sea Hawk said. “I give you a tale to tell your friends. Come on, crew! We’re in for a harrowing adventure!”

The creature burst from the water, multi-tentacled head squirming. It roared, and it smelled like rotting fish. 

“ForthehonorofDerSonne!” Rapunzel said quickly, and then immediately charged the beast, already ready with a lasso of her newly long hair. She wrapped it around the creature with a shout, and the monster screamed, disappearing underwater with the Sundrop in tow.

“Is that a normal thing she does?!” Sea Hawk asked.

Eugene nodded, looking bored. 

“It takes some getting used to.” Pascal said.

“Got it!” The Sundrop surfaced, and then the creature. “Wait, no-” She disappeared back underwater. 

“Let me get this straight,” Eugene said. “You steered us to a giant sea monster, so you could, what, show off?!

“That was the plan before your blonde friend stole my thunder!” Sea Hawk lamented. 

“Unbelievable!” Eugene groaned. “We’re trying to save Etheria and all you care about is whether or not we’re impressed with you?! I need this mission to go right or my mom will never give me another!”

Sea Hawk looked surprised by his outburst, and Eugene forced himself to take a breath. “Just get us to Vardaros. You’ve wasted enough of our time.”

“Got it!” Rapunzel surfaced, her hair brown again. “No more monster!”

“Rapunzel, get on board!” Eugene shouted to her.

*** *** ***

“Why did we stop?” Cassandra snapped.

Kyle flinched. “The Sea Gate is blocking our path. There’s no way past, Force Captain Cassandra.”

“What?!” Cassandra asked. She jumped down, snatching the binoculars from Kyle and peering through them. Sure enough, there was a massive, glowing gate, surrounded by extravagant coral art. 

Cassandra scowled. “Gothel didn’t bother to mention that there was a massive gate blocking the way to Seaworthy?”

“Didn’t you learn about the Vardaros Sea Gate in Force Captain Orientation?” Lance asked.

Cassandra blinked. “There’s Force Captain Orientation?”

“Oh yeah.” Lance nodded. 

Cassandra groaned, turning to face her squad. “All hands on deck!” She shouted. “We’re finding a way through that gate.”

“Impressive captain yell.” Lance complimented.

“Thank you.”

*** *** ***

Pascal looked around the barren shores of Vardaros. “Where is everybody?”

“Hm,” Sea Hawk said. “Very odd indeed. If I know Princess Stalyan, and I do, something’s amiss.”

“Halt!” Someone shouted, and the four turned to see a guard waving at them from the turrets. “Halt I say!”

He sprinted down to them, panting badly by the time he reached them. “What...what is your business in Vardaros?”

“We’ve come to speak to Princess Stalyan.” Eugene said, trying to sound more confident than he felt. 

“Tell her Sea Hawk is with them!” Sea Hawk said, shoving Eugene aside. “She’ll be excited to see me.”

*** *** ***

“Great, they’re both here.” Stalyan said, glaring at Eugene and Sea Hawk from her throne, holding a golden trident loosely. 

Eugene had the awareness to look like he wanted to leave, but Sea Hawk merely smiled widely. “Princess!” He rushed up to her, bowing low. “Oh, it’s been so long! I’ve dreamed of you night and day since we parted.”

Stalyan’s bright blue eyes narrowed. “Uh huh.”

“Hi Stalyan!” Pascal waved good naturedly. “Remember me?”

Stalyan didn’t answer, glancing at Rapunzel. “And who’s she?”

“Er-I’m Rapunzel,” Rapunzel tried to smile, hoping to be the one person Stalyan didn’t actively dislike. “Nice to meet you-”

“What do you want?” Stalyan asked, tossing her long red hair over her shoulders. 

“Look, Stalyan, I know you don’t like me very much-” Eugene said.

“That’s an understatement.” Stalyan grumbled.

“-but we’re here on a diplomatic mission. We’re trying to reform the Royal Alliance.” Eugene said, ignoring her jab. 

“That’s one of your worst ideas ever,” Stalyan said. “Which is saying a lot.”

“I didn’t think it was possible,” Sea Hawk said to Stalyan. “But your beauty grows greater with each passing day.”

“Will you quit it? I’m trying to insult Eugene. You’re distracting me.” Stalyan said. She glanced at the guard next to her. “Butler, bring us some _hors d’oeuvres_.”

“Ooh, _hors d'oeuvres!_.” Sea Hawk grinned. 

“For everyone but Sea Hawk and Eugene.” Stalyan added.

“Your guard is also your butler?” Pascal asked.

“I’m a little understaffed right now,” Stalyan admitted. “Everybody fled because the gate is falling apart or whatever.”

“What?!” The Best Friends Squad all said at once.

“Yeah, I know, right?” Stalyan said, standing up. “Figures I’d inherit a kingdom that’s crumbling. But it’s totally fine, I’m handling it.”

She waved her trident, and a waterfall stopped, exposing a view of the almost entirely deserted Vardaros. The gate was there, and it had a hole in the center. “It’s kinda inconvenient that the Horde won’t stop attacking though.” Stalyan said. 

“Why’s the gate falling apart?” Eugene asked.

Stalyan shrugged. “Who knows? But it gets weaker everyday. And if the Horde tries to attack again, we’re pretty much screwed.”

“The Horde is the reason we’re here,” Eugene said. “We need to rebuild the Royal Alliance. None of us stand a chance on our own, but we might be able to stop them together.”

Stalyan scoffed. “Sure, because it went so great the first time. Plus, I don’t like you.”

“You’ve made that clear.” Eugene mumbled.

“Why should I help Corona anyway?” Stalyan said. “It’s not like they’ve done anything for us.”

“Stalyan,” Sea Hawk coughed. “If I may-” He stood on her throne.

“No!” Stalyan said. “No more shanties.”

She glared at Eugene. “Why did you bring him here? He’s even more annoying than you!”

“I thought you said she liked you.” Pascal said.

“We have a rich, complicated past.” Sea Hawk said. 

“If by that you mean you got us kicked out of the Dolphin Social for challenging the doorman to a duel, then yes.” Stalyan scowled, sitting back down of her throne.

Sea Hawk fell into her lap dramatically. “I don’t recall doing that.”

“And the time you set the gondola on fire in the Tunnel of Love.” Stalyan said, pushing him off.

“That I do recall.” Sea Hawk smiled, smitten.

“This is First Ones writing.” Rapunzel said, looking up at a stained glass window.

“What does it say?” Eugene asked. 

“Uh…” Rapunzel squinted. “Something about the gate. The First Ones must’ve built it. Looks like the gate gets its power from the Vardaros Runestone.”

Rapunzel hummed to herself, thinking. “It could be the gate is failing because it’s losing connection to its power source”

“You think you can fix it?” Eugene asked.

“I can try.” Rapunzel nodded.

Eugene nodded. “Look, Stalyan, we need your help and you need ours. If Rapunzel could repair your gate, would you consider joining us?” 

Stalyan glared, and then gave a long groan. “I don’t know. I guess. But he has to leave.” She pointed at Sea Hawk. 

Sea Hawk wilted. “Where am I supposed to go?”

“Maybe wait by the boat, okay buddy?” Pascal smiled. “We’ll take care of the gate.”

*** *** ***

“I really hope you know what you’re doing.” Stalyan said, standing with the trio in front of the gate. Seawater sloshed against it, leaking through the hairline cracks within the gate.

“Uh, totally!” Rapunzel forced a smile. “I got this.”

She unpinned the flower from her hair. “For the honor of Der Sonne!”

Stalyan blinked at the flash of light, stepping back when she saw Rapunzel’s new form. “Wow, okay. That’s different.”

The Sundrop paused, and then pointed the flower out towards the gate. She closed her eyes, concentrating. After a moment, a beam of light shot out from the flower, and the gate glowed bright blue. 

“Is it working?” Pascal asked, and the Sundrop blinked. The beam of light died, and the light within the gate faded as well. 

“Don’t distract me,” The Sundrop said. “This is harder than it looks.” She refocused, and the light returned. The gate hummed slightly.

“This could…” Eugene glanced at Stalyan. “Take a bit.” He paused when he noticed Sea Hawk on the other side of the gate, untying his boat. 

Eugene groaned. “Hang on.” He said, teleporting to him. 

“What are you doing?!” He demanded, and Sea Hawk shrieked. 

“I’d really appreciate it if you stopped doing that.” He said. 

“Are you leaving without us?” Eugene asked.

“It’s for the best,” Sea Hawk sighed. “I’m only getting in your way. It’s time for old Sea Hawk to be where he belongs. Alone.”

He sighed, bravado leaking out of him as if he were the holed Sea Gate. “It wasn’t always like this. Where I’m from, I had friends. A crew! Every day an adventure more daring than the last. The fact that I kept setting my boats on fire was considered charming.”

Eugene doubted that.

Sea Hawk frowned. “But here I can’t get anyone to take me seriously.”

Eugene sighed. “Yeah…” He said slowly. “I...know a little about that. I can’t get anyone to take me seriously either.”

“You?” Sea Hawk looked surprised. “But you’re a prince.”

“Try being the son of an immortal queen when your powers are sparkles.” Eugene said glumly. 

“Ebenezer-”

“Eugene.”

“We’re just met, and I can already tell you’re a brave and powerful soul,” Sea Hawk said. “Anyone who underestimated you would live to sorely regret it.”

Eugene sighed, and smiled in spite of himself. “Thanks, Sea Hawk. And you know what? You still have friends and a crew,” He saluted. “Reporting for duty, captain.”

Sea Hawk smiled.

*** *** ***

“Uh, Rapunzel?!” Pascal squeaked. 

The Sundrop managed to look back, and her heart dropped when she saw a steel Horde warship coming straight towards them. 

Pascal waved down to Eugene and Sea Hawk. “It’s the Horde!” He shrieked. 

The cannon fixed to the front of the ship lit up, shooting a long green laser beam at the gate. It hit, tearing a massive hole in the gate. The Sundrop yelped, stumbling back. 

Cassandra smiled, and then paused when she saw a long trail of golden hair hanging off the steps of the gate. “Keep us going at full speed,” She told Lance. “I have something important to do.”

“They’re coming right for the gate!” Pascal said, and Stalyan groaned loudly.

“I just need a little more time!” The Sundrop said. “Keep them busy.”

Pascal sprinted down the steps, and Stalyan flung herself off into the ocean, her legs fusing together into a long fishy tail right before she hit the water. Pascal shot a retractable arrow at the boat, and when it hit, he grabbed it, letting himself be yanked onto the vessel. He landed in the center of the deck, shooting another arrow and pinning a blonde kid to the wall by his shirt. A woman with white hair drew her baton, scowling.

She charged Pascal with a war cry, and he blocked her blow with his bow, stumbling back slightly at her force. He shot an arrow, and she dodged it, pinning him to the ground. “Missed me.” She taunted.

“Oh?” Pascal grinned, and the arrow hit the cannon, and burst into green goo. 

“Aw, come on!” The man at the cannon stumbled back, looking disgusted. The woman blinked, distracted, and Pascal threw her off.

The boat lurched, the water tossing it around at Stalyan’s command. She spread her arms, and a jet of water burst from the ocean, throwing the white-haired woman overboard. Pascal waved, and then yelped when the man from before picked him up by his hood.

“Oh,” Pascal said. “You’re big.”

“And you’re not.” The man said.

“No need to be mean about it-AGH!” Pascal shrieked when the man tossed him overboard, into the spinning motors. Pascal closed his eyes, expecting to be chopped up into tiny pieces-

“Gotcha!” Someone grabbed him, and Pascal blinked his eyes open to see Sea Hawk grabbing his arm, swinging over the vessel grandly. 

He landed back on his own boat, and Stalyan burst out of the water next to him. “Pascal, are you alright?” Eugene asked, manning the steering wheel. 

“That was amazing!” Pascal whooped. 

“Thank you for noticing, Pascal,” Sea Hawk said. “It was amazing.”

The cannon shot out another laser. “Nothing’s slowing them down. What do we do?” Sea Hawk frowned.

“I think I have a plan.” Eugene said.

“Oh no.” Stalyan said.

“But no one is allowed to tell my mom about this.” Eugene said. He glanced at Sea Hawk. “And I need your help. I need you to do what you do best.”

“What? A sea shanty?” Sea Hawk asked.

“No!” Stalyan cried. 

Eugene smiled. “Up for another round of nautical arson?”

Sea Hawk’s eyes sparkled. “Yes.”

*** *** ***

The Sundrop winced when another laser hit the gate, but she forced herself not to fall back this time.

“Wow,” A familiar voice said. “You know, the hair looks stupider the longer I look at it.”

The Sundrop scowled, seeing her old friend step in front of her, smirking. “Cassandra,” She said. “How did you find me?”

“Did you think it’d be that easy to escape from the Horde?” Cassandra chuckled. “I mean, I always knew you were dumb, but come on.”

“What’s your plan, insult me until I join the Horde?” The Sundrop snapped. 

“I don’t think Gothel is planning to give you much of a choice,” Cassandra said. “But yeah, something like that.”

She lunged at the Sundrop, almost lazily, and the Sundrop barely avoided her dagger. “Check it out,” Cassandra said. “Looks like while you were gone, I got the promotion.” She tapped her badge proudly. 

“Congrats.” The Sundrop said blandly.

Cassandra’s expression faltered for a second. “Seems like yesterday, this was the thing you wanted most in the world,” She said. “And now…” She groaned. “Come on, Raps, hasn’t this gone on long enough?”

“I told you before, Cassandra,” The Sundrop said softly. “I’m not going back.”

Cassandra’s expression turned dark, and she lunged again, this time for real. The Sundrop blocked the first blow, but shouted when Cassandra sliced her cheek, falling to her knees.

“This is what you left me for?” Cassandra asked. “Dress up and a light show? And your new best friends are nowhere to be seen.” She glared. “When did you get so weak?”

There was a rumbling sound, and a plume of water rose up. Cassandra stumbled back, but it was too late. The water hit her in the chest, throwing her off the steps with a yelp and into the ocean. 

“Woo!” She heard Pascal yell. Stalyan and Pascal shot out of the water, landing next to the Sundrop.

“Thanks.” She panted.

Stalyan waved her hand. “Yeah, whatever. Don’t mention it.”

*** *** *** 

“Ha ha!” Sea Hawk steered his boat around, heading straight on towards the Horde warship. “Adventure and arson!”

Eugene grabbed his arm, and the two blinked away just as the ship burst into flames. The crew aboard the warship shrieked, throwing themselves overboard. The two vessels collided in a fiery explosion, and Sea Hawk cheered a bit too enthusiastically. 

The flower lit up again, and a moment later, the entire gate glowed brightly, designs snaking their way across the gate. The group cheered, and the Sundrop disappeared, Rapunzel taking her place. “You did it!” Pascal said, throwing his arms around her.

“Yeah, that was cool,” Stalyan admitted. “I’m over it though.”

She tilted her head, examining the Sundrop’s handiwork. “You actually fixed it.”

“It’s beautiful.” Rapunzel said, already imagining how she would draw it in her journal later on. 

“I guess you’re gonna be needing a new ship.” Stalyan said to Sea Hawk. She sighed. “I suppose you can have one of mine.” She waved over to a sparkling ship tied to the dock.

Sea Hawk teared up. “She’s beautiful.”

“Don’t set it on fire.” Stalyan said.

“No promises, my love!” Sea Hawk said, leaning down and pecking her on the cheek. Stalyan graciously allowed it, though her face turned slightly pink. “But if I might ask for one favor,” Sea Hawk said. “You should think about joining Eugene’s Royal Alliance. He is a brave and strong captain. With him at the helm, he’s sure to bring the Rebellion to victory.”

“Aw,” Eugene said, grinning. “You even got my name right!”

Stalyan pursed her lips. “Mm...okay. I’m in.” 

“Wait, really?!” Eugene looked shocked.

“Yeah,” Stalyan glanced back at her kingdom. “Even if I don’t like you very much, the Horde almost destroyed my home. I wanna kick their butt for it.”

“Plus,” She nodded at Rapunzel. “Your buddy can turn into an eight foot tall woman with crazy long glowing hair and I want her on my side.”

“Are we friends then?” Rapunzel grinned.

“Wow, okay, calm down,” Stalyan said. “Don’t make me regret this.”

But there was a smile in her eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> everyone: there's already proof that stalyan is a very toxic person, and even hints she's abusive. she hasn't done anything to earn any kind of redemption, really, and it's not-  
> me, writing this: haha pretty tough lady make heart go brrr


	6. The Alchemist

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> varian stans come get yall juice

The mansion was a maze, but the little raccoon knew his way well enough. 

He used the vents, following the smell of something sweet. A cupcake, most likely, those were his boy’s favorites. 

He was glad his boy was going to eat something. His boy was very smart, but sometimes rather forgetful. Sometimes, when the boy was very busy with some new project, he would forget to eat, and the raccoon would have to chitter loudly until he could break through the boy’s focus to remind him of biological processes. 

Usually the boy was surrounded by swirling, colorful smoke, scribbled formulas, and glass tubes filled with liquids that bubbled and stank. Sometimes there was an explosion. Usually it was harmless, but sometimes it wasn’t. This made the mansion somewhat of a legend in the surrounding area of Old Corona. Whispers of a mad wizard who could blow you up.

The raccoon thought these whispers were silly. His boy didn’t blow anyone up. On purpose, anyway.

In any case, the boy was less interested now in things that bubbled and more interested in things that whirred and jerked, metal faces looking down at the raccoon with no emotion. The raccoon didn’t like these things very much, but his boy was fascinated with them, creating dozens of these strange “robots”. 

Robots that poured out liquid from the beakers. Robots that stood in front of more explosive experiments. Robots that cleaned up messes. And-the raccoon would admit this one was helpful-robots that brought his boy food, as this one was doing now. 

The raccoon ducked out of the vents, landing ungracefully on a table, scattered metal parts. His boy had been previously leaning over a small pad, punching in codes, but looked up at the sound. “Ah, Ruddiger, be careful!”

His boy’s big goggles gave his face an unsettling look, but the raccoon merely chittered. His boy sighed, pushing back the goggles. “We need to get you a door of some kind. Oh, food’s here!”

His boy rushed over to the robot, grabbing the cupcake, grinning when he saw the pig design on it. “Aw! I like this one.” He bit into it, and then immediately returned to his work.

“I’m close to something big, Ruddiger,” His boy told him, refocusing. “Alchemy’s all well and good, but I can’t believe I’m only now starting to tap into the secrets of First Ones tech! Imagine what I could create!”

The raccoon stretched, not understanding a word his boy said. His boy grabbed a strange green crystal with three sharp points, examining it. After a moment, he pressed it into some kind of metal contraption, and it whirred to life. 

His boy picked up a tape recorder. “Log day...one-oh-three? One-oh-four? No, definitely one-oh-three…” His boy squinted at the screens, whirring pictures and writing too fast for the raccoon to comprehend. “First Ones artifact fifty-three has wielded a treasure trove of intact code! If I can translate it, it could hold secrets of the First Ones never before imagined!”

His boy turned, not seeing the crystal suddenly turn red. The raccoon shrieked when the robot next to him suddenly powered up. It wasn’t supposed to do that. His boy controlled these metal monsters, they weren’t supposed to move on their own. 

The raccoon scrambled to his boy, climbing his shoulders and chattering a warning. “Ow! Ruddiger, what…” His boy trailed off when he saw red, vein-like structures spreading from the crystal and across the lab. His boy grinned. “Amazing!”

Amazing wasn’t the word the raccoon would have used. The robots in the lab suddenly jerked to life, looking at the raccoon and his boy. “The robots seem to be responding to the code,” The boy told the tape recorder. “This is remarkable, could this be my first big step towards making ancient and modern technology compatible-Ruddiger, you’re hurting me!” His boy said when the raccoon’s claws dug into his scalp when he saw a robot draw near, holding a heavy wrench.

“Stop-ah!” His boy barely dodged the robot attack, ducking underneath another that tried to grab him. The raccoon squealed, seeing malice in every single red, lifeless eye.

His boy backed up, finally seeming to realize the situation at hand. “Edit to log,” He told the tape recorder. “We might have a problem.”

The raccoon agreed.

*** *** ***

“Why do we need this guy if they’re not a royal?” Rapunzel asked, following Pascal and Eugene up the high cliff. 

“Not much is known about them, but people say they’re a powerful wizard,” Pascal said. “And a master in technology! Rumor has it they’ve been rehabbing old First Ones tech. If we can convince them to help us, it’ll be great for the Rebellion.”

“Are we sure it’s safe?” Rapunzel asked.

“Of course,” Eugene said. “Like...ninety-four percent. They’ve never killed anyone, they’re just kind of a hermit.”

“Ninety four?” Rapunzel asked. 

“They’re a pretty big deal in the Etherian maker community,” Pascal said. “Which I am a part of, because I dabble in gadgetry myself.” He pulled out a miniature bow and arrow and shot it. The arrow burst into confetti, and Pascal grinned proudly. 

Rapunzel blinked. “What does any of this mean?” She whispered to Eugene. 

“It means if we convince the wizard to join the Rebellion, they can make all sorts of cool junk for us,” Eugene said. “And then we’ll finally have weapons that stand up against the Horde’s!”

“Like my trick arrows!” Pascal said, unslinging his quiver. “I was running low, so I made new ones.”

He started pulling them out, listing them. “This is a stun arrow, an emergency flare arrow, and this one is just pointy. Plain but effective.”

“And here’s my newest one!” He said grandly, pulling out an arrow with a bright blue tip. “Sonic arrow!”

Eugene chuckled. “When will we ever need a sonic arrow? If we have to get up really early?”

“Maybe we’ll get separated in a crowd.” Rapunzel smirked.

Pascal scowled. “I bet the wizard will like my arrows.”

The trio continued, pausing when they came to a pile of large rocks blocking the path. Pascal frowned. “Must’ve been a rockslide. Another loud sound could cause another slide. We have to be quiet-”

“For the honor of Der Sonne!” Rapunzel shouted, and there was a bright flash. The Sundrop stretched her hands out with a big grin, and a blast of energy threw the rocks aside. 

“I’m getting the hang of this!” She grinned. 

“That was incredibly dangerous.” Pascal said. 

The Sundrop frowned. “But it worked.” She started walking off, and Pascal struggled to keep up with her long strides. 

“You can’t just bust your way through everything with magic!” Pascal said. “The Sundrop could’ve caused an avalanche.”

“But she didn’t!” The Sundrop said. “I spent my whole life without powers, no way I’m gonna stop using them now!”

There was a flash of lightning and clap of thunder, and the three stopped, seeing a mansion with a huge lightning rod sticking out of the top. Lightning danced around it. “They’ve got lightning!” Pascal said, awed.

Eugene squinted, seeing a flashing red light near the rod. “Something’s wrong. The mansion has a distress signal. They might be under attack.”

“There’s no reports of the Horde in this area.” The Sundrop said, rushing forward.

“Hey, hey!” Pascal called after her. “Be careful!”

The Sundrop ducked in, and Eugene teleported next to her. The Sundrop winced, an uncomfortable buzzing feeling building up in her head. “You okay?” Eugene asked.

“This place feels wrong…” She said slowly, and then shook her head. “It’s nothing.”

Eugene pursed his lips, but grabbed her arm to teleport into the castle. The dark halls were empty and devoid of any decorations, and it reminded the Sundrop chillingly of the Fright Zone.

Something slammed, and the two jumped. “Who’s there?!” The Sundrop demanded, gathering up her hair. 

No answer. Eugene stepped forward carefully. “Hello? Wizard?” He called. “We’re here to, uh, recruit you into the Rebellion! If that’s something you’re interested in.”

Something brushed his leg, and he jumped, heart skipping a few beats. But all that was on the ground was a discarded metal hand. Probably a robot of some kind. He hummed, and picked it up.

The hand sprung to life, trying to scuttle up his arm. Eugene shrieked, throwing it away immediately.

“Okay!” Pascal panted, finally having caught up. He seemed a bit sore about being left behind. “We need to be careful. I think the wizard has traps set up around the mansion. Which is really cool, actually…”

There was a distant explosion, and a drain cover popped off, and a scaly green man scowled at them. “Get out of the halls,” He said. “They’re coming!” He ducked back down.

“Who’s coming?!” The Sundrop asked. “The Horde?!”

“Come back!” Eugene said, kneeling by the drain cover. He got no answer. There was another explosion, and Eugene stood up quickly. “I think we should move away from whatever made that sound.”

“This way!” The Sundrop said, pointing down a dark corridor. The three rushed down, but froze when there was an awful creaking.

A figure moved in the shadows, limping forward. A robot with glowing red eyes emerged, dragging a shattered leg behind it. “What the-” Pascal started, but didn’t get the chance to finish. 

The robot wailed, an awful grating sound, and charged forward. The Sundrop met it, swinging out her hair to it. The hair wrapped around it’s metal torso, and she threw it against the wall. It spasmed, and then tried to crawl towards them again. Pascal shot an arrow into the robot. It spasmed again, more violently, and then went still.

There was another explosion, and the group rushed forward. Pascal paused, leaning over the robot. “This must be one of the wizard’s. Why did it attack us?”

“Stand back!” The Sundrop said, her hair beginning to glow. She spread her arms, preparing to bust open a metal door. Eugene looked excited.

“Wait, no! It could be-” Pascal reached out, but the Sundrop stepped forward and the floor underneath her and Eugene gave out. The two disappeared into the trapdoor with a scream.

Pascal squeaked in alarm when the trapdoor closed. He pounded on it. “Eugene! Rapunzel!”

He received no answer. 

“Guys?!” Pascal yelled. “Can you-”

He never got to finish. Two hands grabbed him, covering his mouth, yanking him into the shadows.

*** *** ***

Eugene landed in a painful heap at the bottom of a long metal tube, trapped in a cage. The Sundrop landed next to him with a grunt. “Ow.”

“Pascal!” Eugene said. “He’s all alone with those things, he needs our help!”

“We have to get out first.” The Sundrop said. 

“I’ll just teleport us out.” Eugene grabbed her hand and blinked away.

They were in a tiny hall, squished against each other uncomfortably. “I don’t think this is out.” The Sundrop said.

Eugene huffed, and teleported again. This time they were at the top of the mansion, perched precariously on a cliff. “No!” Eugene said, teleporting once again, this time feeling wind on his face as he realized they were plummeting down the side of a cliff.

They screamed, and Eugene just managed to teleport them both back into the castle before they hit the ground.

“No more teleporting!” The Sundrop said, her voice pitched. 

“Okay, okay…” Eugene agreed, breathless. At least they were in a normal sized hallway now. 

There was a skittering noise, and the two of them jumped, on guard. Something scuttled around the shadow, and Eugene summoned two tight balls of light, tense.

A raccoon scurried out of the shadows, chittering in annoyance.

Eugene blinked. “What…?”

“Are you two royalty?!” An excited voice asked. 

The Sundrop and Eugene whirled around again to see a short boy stumble out from the shadows. He pushed up thick goggles, revealing gray eyes filled with curiosity. He had shaggy black hair and a slightly buck-toothed grin. He wore some kind of big apron, and thick gloves. “Thank goodness, I was starting to worry that signal wasn’t working! Sorry about Ruddiger, he’s a bit out of sorts right now.” The boy, probably no older than fifteen, scooped up the raccoon.

“Um,” Eugene said. “Who are you?”

“Oh! Sorry, I’m Varian.” Varian offered his hand.

“What’re you doing here?” The Sundrop asked.

“Well, I live here.” Varian said.

“You-” Eugene blinked. “Wait, you’re the wizard?! You’re just a kid!”

“That’s what people are calling me?” Varian rolled his eyes. “I’m not a wizard. That’s ridiculous.”

“But...people say you blow stuff up.” The Sundrop said. 

Varian coughed. “Occasionally. But that’s not magic! I’m something of an expert alchemist, not to brag or anything...though recently I’ve been dabbling in robotics. I’ve developed a knack for it.”

“Robotics-are those your robots?! They tried to kill us!” Eugene said.

“Ah, welcome to my corner of Old Corona, I suppose,” Varian smiled guiltily. “Usually things are fun, but it’s slightly deadly now on account of the murder-bots.”

“Why...why would you let loose murder-bots?!” The Sundrop asked.

“Well, I didn’t mean to!” Varian started walking down the hall, and motioned for the group to follow. “You’re lucky I found you. I designed the mansion to be a labyrinth. I’m the only one who can navigate it-ow!” He ran right into a wall, and the raccoon on his shoulder-Ruddiger-chittered something that might have been a scolding. 

“Which means you can help us find our friend?” Eugene asked. 

“Yeah! Just gotta, ah…” Varian spun around, looking around at the plain walls. “Get my bearings…” He withdrew some kind of compass from his apron pocket and frowned. “Hm, I thought I already passed those coordinates. I usually have my electronic map to get me around, but like my bots, it’s kind of evil right now.”

He grabbed a tablet from his other pocket, and it was covered in some kind of red growth. It buzzed angrily, and Ruddiger hissed. 

“So, wanna tell us what happened with the murder-bots?” The Sundrop asked. 

“You’re tall,” Varian said as if he had just noticed. “Hello! Ooh, cool flower. Why’s it glowing? Why’s your hair so long? Can I take a sample?”

“No!” The Sundrop stepped back quickly, and Varian looked disappointed. 

“Murder-bots?” Eugene prompted.

“They didn’t start out as murder-bots,” Varian said. “Usually, they’re super useful. They do almost everything for me. Cleaning, filing, basic hygiene...oh, they’re sound activated! Let me show you!” He started clapping.

“Ah ah!” Eugene said, grabbing his hands. “Maybe not right now.”

It was too late. There was a rumbling, and a massive robot with brushes on the bottom of it rounded the corner, fixing its red eyes on the group. They took off, Eugene having the grab Varian’s arm because the boy was too busy smiling proudly at his robot. 

“Isn’t it adorable?” Varian asked.

The robot stopped suddenly, unable to follow due to the beams in the ceiling. It roared, and the Sundrop stumbled back, covering her ears. “It’s trying to talk!” Varian said excitedly. 

“Whatever it’s saying, I don’t think it’s good-Varian!” Eugene shouted when the kid rushed up to the robot, pulling a tape recorder out of his pocket. (How big were his pockets?!)

“Make it stop!” The Sundrop gasped.

“What? Make what stop?” Eugene asked. “Rapunzel, what’s wrong?”

“Bot three-two-nine is attempting to communicate.” Varian said to the recorder, climbing onto the robot. Ruddiger squealed when the robot began to push through the beams, and Varian yelped, stumbling. “Bad bot!”

“Varian!” The Sundrop cried, forcing herself to stand. She raced towards it and swung her hair around the top of the robot, ripping it’s head off. The robot powered down with a buzz.

Ruddiger whimpered, and Varian smiled guiltily. “Sorry buddy.”

The Sundrop yelped, suddenly realizing the red growth was climbing up her hair. She tried to yank away, but something was forcing her hair to stick to it. Her flower, tucked behind her ear, shriveled slightly, the glow turning sickly. 

“Blondie!” Eugene shouted, teleporting up to her. “What’s-”

The Sundrop whirled around, lunging at him with a murderous expression. Eugene stumbled back with a cry of surprise, pinwheeling. The Sundrop grabbed his arm, and he jerked roughly. The flower came loose from her hair, and she stumbled forward.

The Sundrop disappeared with a flash, and Rapunzel dropped to the floor, unconscious.

*** *** ***

“Let me go!” Pascal thrashed.

“Please keep your voice down, sir!” An urgent voice whispered, dropping him. A tall thin man with nervous eyes and purple hair peered at him. “The robots respond to sound.”

“We’re just trying to help.” A green-haired woman said.

“Uh,” Pascal coughed. “Thanks. What’s...going on? Why are the robots attacking people?”

“We don’t know!” The third woman said, blue-haired. “We’re just the kitchen staff.”

“The wizard has a kitchen staff?” Pascal asked.

“He’s not a wizard. Just Varian, a slightly mad scientist.” The man said glumly. 

“Cupcake?” The green haired woman offered one to Pascal. 

“And a fizzy beverage?” The man held out a glass bottle filled with a carbonated orange drink.

“Ooh!” Pascal took them gratefully.

“You’ll be safe in here,” The green-haired woman said. “We’ve got enough food to last us for months. It’s...not very healthy food, Varian likes sweets, but still!”

“The bots will eventually run out of power,” The blue haired woman paused. “Right?”

“We need to do something,” Pascal said. “You can’t just hide in here forever.”

“Yes we can,” The blue haired woman said. “We don’t have powers like the royals. We can’t fight.”

Pascal’s tracker pad beeped, and the kitchen staff yelped. “Sir, please kindly quiet...whatever that is!” The man squeaked. 

“It’s a tracker pad,” Pascal said, staring at the screen. “It tracks signals from magic. It’ll help me find my friends!”

The green haired woman peeked at the pad. “Are those green dots your friends?”

Pascal opened his mouth, but suddenly, the metal door to the kitchen clanged loudly, and there was the sound of robots shuffling, trying to enter. “Probably not.” Pascal said, sprinting over to the wall and tying a piece of rope to the end of an arrow and a hook in the wall.

“On my count, open the door!” Pascal said.

“Are you crazy?!” The man squealed.

“I can get us out of here. Just trust me!” Pascal said.

The kitchen staff looked at each other, and then winced when the banging grew louder. The green haired woman sighed, and went to the door. “Here goes nothing.” She said.

“Now!” Pascal shouted.

She flung open the door, and robots stumbled into the room. Pascal released the arrow, and the rope went taunt across the room, tripping a robot. Pascal immediately fired another arrow into another robot’s face, and it fell back. 

There was a shriek, and Pascal reached for his last arrow, only to pause, watching the last robot creep upon the green haired woman. “Shoot it!” The man cried.

“I can’t! It’s a sonic arrow, it’ll only attract more robots!” Pascal cried.

The robot reached for the woman, but suddenly the door to the oven flew out, bashing the robot in the face. The blue haired woman stood over the corpse of the robot, looking slightly shaky. 

“Nice work!” Pascal grinned. “Now come on, I need to find my friends!”

*** *** ***

“Blondie?!” Eugene said, barely restraining himself from shaking Rapunzel. “Rapunzel?! Hey, wake up!” He felt panic bubble up in him. Was she dying?

Rapunzel remained motionless.

“The tall one seems to be infected too,” Varian mused, kneeling down next to her. “Well, she’s less tall now. How does that work?”

“What do you mean, infected?!” Eugene asked shrilly. 

“Oh, okay, it’s really fascinating,” Varian said, but Eugene doubted it. “So I’ve been experimenting with this disc I recovered from a mine. It was a game changer! It held more complete First Ones code than I’ve ever seen before. But it seems to have reacted with the First One tech that also powers my bots. It infected them with some kind of virus.”

“But…” Eugene swallowed. “Why would that make the Sundrop sick?”

“I’d have to take her apart to be sure…” Varian said, not noticing Eugene’s glare. “But since her flower appears to be First Ones related, it must have spread through that.” He motioned to the limp flower, still glowing a sickly red. 

“If we destroy the disc, will it turn off the bots and stop the virus?” Eugene asked.

“Destroy it?” Varian shook his head. “But the experiment isn’t complete!”

“I think we can safely say this experiment is a failure!” Eugene said, standing up and gesturing wildly to the destruction around him. 

“But what if it’s not-ah!” Varian backed up at Eugene’s glare. “No, you’re right, it’s a failure!”

Ruddiger chittered, and Eugene heard Rapunzel groan. He rushed back to her. “Rapunzel? Rapunzel?!”

Rapunzel blinked, slowly, her eyes glazed. She grinned loopily. “Hey, ‘Gene.” She said, voice slurring. She squinted. “There’s two o’ you!”

Eugene blinked. “Uh...you okay there?”

“‘M great!” She shouted, and paused when she saw Eugene’s startled expression. “Why’re...why’re we whisperin’?”

“Sound activates the robots.” Eugene said quietly.

“Robots?!” Rapunzel asked shrilly, sitting up. “What robots?!”

“The ones that are attacking us! Sh!” Eugene said.

“Oh, right…” Rapunzel nodded wisely. “Well, ‘m gonna take a nap.”

“Wait, no no, stay awake!” This time Eugene did shake her, and she scowled at him. “We have to go to Varian’s lab and destroy a disc thing, and then you’ll be better.”

“Better?” Rapunzel asked. “M’ fine! M’ the Sundrop!” She collapsed into giggles, as though she had heard a fantastic joke.

“Oh boy,” Eugene said. “We gotta hurry. I think she’s getting worse.” Eugene looped his arm around her, hauling her to her feet, mostly carrying her as Varian led them deeper into the labyrinth.

*** *** ***

“Oh, we’re here!” Varian said after what seemed like hours. “I mean, of course we’re here. I always knew the way.”

“Great.” Eugene grunted, straining from carrying Rapunzel, who was currently passed out again.

Varian rushed up to a metal door, punching in a code to the keypad on the door. Immediately, he was flung back by a harsh electric shock. “Wow!” Varian coughed. “The door is infected too. It won’t let us in!” 

Ruddiger coughed, his fur standing on end. “That’s smart!” Varian said, and then he frowned. “Also awful. We’re all gonna die.”

“It’s okay,” Eugene said. “I can teleport into the lab.”

“Ooh, teleportation? How does that work?” Varian asked.

“Not now,” Eugene said, setting down Rapunzel. “Uh, watch Rapunzel.”

“Will do!” Varian grinned.

Eugene disappeared into the lab, and Varian focused on taking notes, ignoring the sudden robotic roars from within the lab, and Eugene’s shrieks of alarm. 

Eugene reappeared, haggard and pale. “That was a bad plan,” He wheezed. “The lab is...filled with robots. Absolutely filled.”

“How’d they look?” Varian asked.

“Evil,” Eugene said, sliding down against the door. “I couldn’t get anywhere near the disc.”

There was a rumble, and a robot with an oversized metal arm scuttled around the corner, eyes sparkling red.

“Oh no.” Eugene said.

*** *** ***

Pascal skidded to a stop when a robot stumbled out in front of him. The kitchen staff jumped away with a shriek, and the robot opened its mouth, spitting bubbles.

“Aw, guys, it’s kinda cute-AH!” Pascal yelped when the robot grabbed him, slamming it against the wall.

“HEY!” The robot turned at the blue haired woman’s yell, and its head was sliced off by a metal plate. It dropped to the ground, and Pascal’s tracker started buzzing. The group shrieked again.

“Don’t say it’s more bots!” The man whimpered.

“No,” Pascal said, studying the pad. “It’s Eugene teleporting! I know where Eugene and Rapunzel are!” The pad blinked again, the screen lighting up with red dots. Pascal frowned. “Uh oh. That’s no good.” The red dots were converging on where Eugene and Rapunzel were.

“We have to save them!” He cried.

“Oh, no sir,” The man said. “No thank you.”

“It’s one thing to fight them out of necessity,” The blue haired woman said. “But to seek out danger? It’s madness!”

“They’re royals, they have powers!” The green haired woman said. “I make baked goods!” She extracted a small pastry from her pocket, holding it out mournfully. 

“Sure, we don’t have powers like the royals,” Pascal said. “But that never stopped me, and it doesn’t have to stop you!”

“But you’re a master archer! We’re just ordinary people!” The green haired woman argued.

“I’m a master archer who is completely out of arrows,’ Pascal said. “But that never stopped me either. You each have a skill that only you can do! Even if it doesn’t come out of some magical jewel or flower!”

Pascal straightened up, drawing himself to his full height (Which wasn’t much, but still). “You say you’re ordinary people?” He shook his head. “I say you’re warriors for the Rebellion!”

The kitchen staff grinned, glancing at each other. “For the Rebellion!”

*** *** ***

Eugene ducked into a dark room, still dragging Rapunzel, trying not to pant. Ruddiger shrank against Varian, looking scared. The robots thundered by, not seeing them, and Eugene let out a sigh of relief. 

At least until there was a buzzing behind them, and he saw two red eyes peering out of the gloom. 

He shrieked, running again. “Incredible development!” Varian told the tape recorder. “The bots seem to be working together!”

“Will you give it a rest with that thing?!” Eugene snapped, struggling to stay ahead of the clanking metal monsters. “We need another way into the lab!”

“The air duct!” Varian said. “Ruddiger uses them all the time!” He rounded a corner, but stumbled when countless robots stared at them with spite, whirring in unison. They were surrounded.

Varian coughed, glancing at Eugene. “I don’t suppose you have any other magical powers that could be useful right now?”

“I don’t have enough energy to teleport us all!” Eugene cried. “Not without leaving someone’s legs behind.”

“I’ll give up one of mine if you give up one of your’s!” Varian volunteered. 

A robot screamed, rushing forward. Eugene tensed, wondering if he could buy them enough time to get Varian and Rapunzel out of there-

There was a hissing sound, and the room suddenly filled with smoke. The robot closest to them paused, and then something hit it in the head. It went down, defeated by a pie to the head. “Yeah!” A familiar voice cheered, and Eugene grinned.

“Pascal!” He shouted. 

The kitchen staff attacked with makeshift melee weapons; bottles, icing, metal pots and pans, and spinning plates that hit the robots with the same force as a shrukin. They had the element of surprise and disguise on their side, and they managed to drive off the robots. For now.

“Pascal, you’re alright!” Eugene said, relieved. 

“Yeah, I-who’s that?” He motioned to Varian.

“The wizard, apparently. But don’t call him that. And the raccoon is Ruddiger.” Eugene said. Varian smiled widely, as though he hadn’t been the cause for this mess.

Pascal blinked. “Huh.”

“Hi!” Rapunzel said brightly, finally waking up. She stood up shakily, grinning.

“Uh...you okay Rapunzel?” Pascal asked.

“Yeah!” Rapunzel giggled. “Jus’ great!”

“Varian was experimenting with First Ones tech,” Eugene said. “And it infected all his machines with some kind of virus, and then the Sundrop flower got infected and made Rapunzel all...loopy.”

“Loopy is an understatement.” Varian said, and Ruddiger chittered an agreement. 

“I teleported into the lab, but it’s full of bots!” Eugene said. “And maybe with the Sundrop we’d have a chance, but we don’t!”

“We don’t need the Sundrop,” Pascal grinned. “We can do this together.”

He glanced at the kitchen staff. “You guys up for one more round of bot fighting?”

*** *** ***

Varian crawled out of the vent, waving for the others to follow. Pascal peeked through the scrap metal in the corner. “Okay,” He whispered. “Where’s the disc?”

Varian pointed to a large screen in the center of the room, covered in some kind of veiny red growth. Something pulse in the middle, like a weak heartbeat. “How fascinating,” Varian said. “It’s completely protected itself!” 

“We have to find a way to turn it off.” Pascal said.

“Hey, I found the bots!” Rapunzel said loudly, stumbling out from behind her hiding place, smiling with a pleased expression. 

“You were supposed to be watching her!” Pascal hissed at Eugene.

“She’s slippery!” He protested helplessly.

The robots jerked to attention, rushing to Rapunzel. Eugene yelped, teleporting to her and then blinking the two of them on top of some kind of fuel cell right before they could grab her. The robots changed course immediately, scrabbling at the bottom.

“Eugene!” Pascal shouted.

“We’ll get your friends,” The green haired woman said. “You guys turn the disc off!”

“Keep them busy!” Pascal said, rushing over with Varian to the main screen while the kitchen staff charged into battle.

Pascal grabbed at the disc, but it was completely covered by the solid red growth, and he was unable to rip it off. “How do we shut the computer off?” Pascal asked. 

“The power conduit!” Varian said, rushing over to a massive plug in the wall, yanking it out. The screen went dark, and Pascal smiled, relief rushing into him.

And then the disc sparkled, and the veins began to pulse. The robots turned their attention to them. “Dumb bots, you’re going the wrong way!” Eugene shouted, trying to get their attention with no success. “Pascal, watch out!”

“Why didn’t that work?!” Pascal demanded.

“It’s running on its own power now! That’s...that’s unprecedented!” Varian laughed. A robot screamed in a grating voice, and Varian flinched. “But also very bad.”

Pascal stepped back, and heard his final arrow rattling around in his quiver. “Hang on!” He quickly loaded his bow, aiming for the disc. “Sonic arrow, don’t fail me now!”

He shot the arrow.

The arrow pierced the red growth, and released such a loud boom that it threw Pascal back. It continued to make noise, and Pascal’s ears rang. The robots turned their attention to the disc, attacking the source of the noise. Their metal hands tore through the growth more easily, and the disc popped loudly, bursting into flames.

The robots went limp, red eyes turning purple. 

Eugene teleported back down, letting go of Rapunzel, who was rubbing her eyes as though she had a headache. “What…” She groaned. “What’s happening? Where am I?”

Eugene laughed, slightly hysterical. “Oh, we just nearly got murdered by robots. The usual.”

“Thanks, guys,” Pascal told the kitchen staff. “You saved our lives back there. The Rebellion needs regular people like you now more than ever.”

“We’re ready.” The blue haired woman said, and her co-workers nodded in agreement.

Varian shuffled, looking slightly embarrassed. “Ah, thanks for your help. Usually my projects don’t go this badly!”

The kitchen staff glanced at each other. “Is there anything I can do to repay you?” Varian asked.

Eugene grinned. “What would you say to helping out the Rebellion?”

*** *** ***

“So…” Eugene told Pascal as the trio walked down the mountainside. “Maybe you had a point before.”

“Sorry?” Pascal grinned. “Couldn’t hear you.”

Eugene scowled. 

“Eugene’s trying to say you were right,” Rapunzel chuckled. “We can’t always rely on our powers.”

“Is that what you were trying to say, Eugene?” Pascal grinned. “That I was right?”

“You’re just eating this up, huh?” Eugene huffed.

“And my sonic arrow was a good idea?” Pascal asked.

“Look, you could make an arrow that, I don’t know, shoots peanut butter, and it’ll come in handy in some way. It’s just that chances of it ever being useful are highly unlikely. You got lucky with the sonic arrow today.” Eugene said.

“Jokes on you, Eugene,” Pascal said. “I’m gonna make a peanut butter arrow now.”

“Maybe you could make sandwiches with it.” Rapunzel mused.

“Don’t encourage him!” Eugene said. 

Rapunzel frowned. “If you hadn’t come, the bots would have come for us,” She touched the flower in her hair gently, the petals once again gold and unmarred. “I didn’t know the Sundrop could get sick like that. What if it happens again?”

“It won’t,” Pascal assured her. “We destroyed the disc, remember?”

“Good,” Rapunzel huffed. “I never wanna feel that way again.”

“Thanks for saving us, Pascal.” Eugene elbowed him.

Pascal grinned. “All in a day’s work for Pascal and his Kitchen Knights. His Baking Brigade. Pastry Patrol-”

“Keep workshopping those titles, buddy.” Eugene said, and paused when he saw a large boulder. He smiled mischievously. “Wow, look at that rock. Boy, it really looks like it needs some smashing. And since the Sundrop’s not sick anymore, she could probably smash it.”

Rapunzel’s eyes lit up like a Christmas tree. “Yes!” She paused when she saw Pascal’s look. “What? It’s practice!” She grabbed the flower. “For the honor of Der Sonne!”

Pascal sighed, watching his eight foot tall friend take out the day’s frustrations on an innocent boulder. 

*** *** ***

The raccoon picked his way through the rubble, chittering to his boy. His boy had narrowly avoided disaster today, and the raccoon hoped he had learned his lesson this time. Probably not.

“Log day...one-oh-five? Four? Eh…” His boy said, examining something in the rubble, speaking to his tape recorder. “The last experiment hit a few bumps but wasn’t a total failure.”

The raccoon squealed his disagreement.

“Ruddiger, sh, I’m recording data,” His boy turned his attention back to the rubble. “I’ve made some important discoveries! The disc is way more powerful than I imagined, and the growth it created reminds me of a few compounds I’ve been toying with! Is it possible to combine alchemy and technology in such a way? Not to mention First Ones tech!”

The raccoon darted under the table, watching his boy gather bits and pieces of debris, setting the, on the table. He pulled out a large leather bag, the one filled with materials and liquids that popped and sprayed and smelled and stung-

The raccoon chattered to his boy, warning him of the line that he toed so often, but now seemed to finally be stepping over. His boy was smart. His boy was so very smart, but his boy was also reckless, and eventually someone was going to get hurt.

“With a few adjustments,” His boy said, pushing his eerie goggles over his face. “I’m sure the next experiment will be a success.”

And his boy set to work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> was anyone gonna tell me that edmund losing an arm was canon and not a fun little fan idea??? are you serious??? like damn pack it up bucky barnes


	7. In the Shadows of Mystacor

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> dont ask me why the title references hp lovecraft, i couldn't tell you 
> 
> anyway i think we've ignored poor gothel for long enough, right?

“Rapunzel.” Gothel's voice whispered, and Rapunzel jerked up, awake in the middle of the forest, Pascal and Eugene sleeping next to her, heedless of the danger.

She frowned, trying to tell herself it was a dream. Such dreams weren’t unusual since leaving the Horde.

It was funny. She had never really been afraid of Gothel before. But now...now she dreaded to think of what would happen if her mother was able to get to her again. Maybe not necessarily afraid for herself, but afraid for everyone around her. 

And yet she couldn’t make herself hate the woman, just like she couldn’t make herself hate Cassandra.

She thought she heard a whisper in the trees, and then stiffened, her heart racing.

The forest was still.

She cast one more glance at Pascal and Eugene, and then got up, going after the noise.

*** *** ***

“Eugene, wake up.” Pascal said, nudging the prince with his foot.

“Five more minutes.” Eugene groaned.

“It’s a beautiful morning.” Pascal said.

“Today’s cancelled,” Eugene declared, rolling over so he was facing away from Pascal. “Go back to bed.”

Pascal nudged him again, and Eugene sighed deeply, finally sitting up. “Why is it the one who snores is always the first one to fall asleep?”

“I do not snore.” Pascal said, affronted.

“You snore like an elephant,” Eugene said. “It’s not fair, you’re too small to be that loud.”

“Rapunzel, do I snore-” Pascal turned to her, pausing when he realized she was no longer there. He glanced up, seeing her staring at something in the woods he couldn’t see. “Rapunzel?

Pascal elbowed Eugene, and the two carefully went up behind her. She didn’t acknowledge them, and Pascal coughed. “What are we looking at?”

“I don’t know,” Rapunzel admitted. “I heard a noise in the woods last night. I thought I saw something.”

“What, like a bunny? Or a butterfly?” Eugene yawned.

“Butterflies don’t come out at night.” Pascal said.

“Fine, Mr. Night Biology Expert. A moth.” Eugene rolled his eyes.

Rapunzel didn’t say anything, and Eugene frowned. “Blondie, did you get any sleep at all last night?”

“Someone had to stand guard.” Rapunzel muttered. 

“Okay,” Eugene said. “I know you’re on edge because of what happened with Varian’s infected robots, but that’s all over now! You’ve got to relax. You need a vacation. Which is why we’re going to Mystacor!”

“Mystacor?!” Pascal gasped. “No way!”

“What’s Mystacor?” Rapunzel asked.

“It’s this secret, floating kingdom home to all of Etheria’s sorcerers,” Eugene explained. “It’s got tranquil gardens, beautiful beaches, healing springs...and my Aunt Willow just happens to be the head sorceress there!”

“You’ll love it!” Pascal said, looking excited. “Plus, you won’t have to worry about evil things in the woods! Mystacor is protected by an invisibility spell, so evil can’t find it!”

“It’s the safest and most peaceful place in all of Etheria,” Eugene assured her. “We’ll have you relaxing in no time!”

“You know I’ve never relaxed in my life.” Rapunzel said.

“Well, that’s really sad.” Eugene said.

“We’re about to change that!” Pascal grinned, grabbing his bow and arrow. “We’ll have you relaxing in no time!”

And as the trio walked away, no one noticed the little shadow slinking across the ground like a snake, waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike.

*** *** ***

“Gothel,” Cassandra said, saluting without much enthusiasm. “You wanted to see me?”

Gothel turned away from the Black Garnet, her face youthful and strong again. “Ah, Force Captain. How kind of you to join me.” She leaned over her basin, staring at something Cassandra couldn’t see.

“What’s up with you?” Cassandra asked hesitantly. “You’re being...spookier than usual.”

“My shadow spies have found Rapunzel. She’s on her way to Mystacor with her new friends. Mystacor!” She scoffed. “This is going to be too easy.”

“Another Rapunzel mission,” Cassandra sighed. “Fine. When do I leave?”

Gothel scoffed. “The only place you’re headed is outside my door to stand guard. I’m going to use my magic to go after Rapunzel myself. You will see I am not disturbed.”

Cassandra felt something akin to dread knot itself in her stomach. “What?” 

“You’ve proven that you cannot be trusted to go after her,” Gothel snapped. “And it was foolish of me to expect you to be able to accomplish the task anyway.”

Cassandra bristled, though mostly she was still worried for Rapunzel. “Gothel-”

“I said go!” Gothel snapped, whirling around to glare at Cassandra, her eyes dark. 

Cassandra flinched, and fled.

*** *** ***

“We’re here!” Eugene said.

“This is a cliff.” Rapunzel said, looking nervously over the edge, unable to see the ground through the mist. 

“Yes,” Eugene agreed. “But not for long.”

“Race you!” Pascal said, and threw himself off the cliff. Rapunzel shrieked in alarm.

“No fair!” Eugene followed his lead, and Rapunzel was alone on the cliff, wondering if she just witnessed a very strange double suicide. 

“Guys?” She called out weakly. 

There was a rumbling noise, a tiny, floating rock island appeared from the mist. Eugene and Pascal stood on it, unharmed. “Come on, Rapunzel!” Pascal shouted. “Jump!”

She took a breath, sprinting forward and leaping towards them. It was a short jump, and she would be able to make it easily. Something dark shifted in the corner of her eye, and she looked down in a panic, just barely seeing something shadowy disappear into the mist-

She landed roughly, tripping forward ungracefully. “Ouch,” Pascal said sympathetically. “You okay?”

“I’m fine,” Rapunzel said, standing up and brushing herself off. “I thought I saw...nevermind, I’m just stressed.”

“You won’t be for long,” Eugene assured her. “Next stop, Mystacor!”

Rapunzel glanced back, but there was nothing there. Just endless mist.

*** *** ***

The little floating rock slowly came to a stop in front of a massive city. Alabaster buildings towered high above the clouds, topped with gold and jewels, and everything sparkled with joyful magic. Something flashed as they passed through the protective barrier of the city, and instantly Rapunzel could smell a sweet tang on jasmine on the breeze. 

The rock came to a stop in front of the city, and the trio hopped off. “That ride never gets old.” Pascal declared.

“Just so you know,” Eugene said. “My Aunt Willow can be a lot. But don’t worry, I know how to handle her-”

“Is that my Eugene?!” An excited looking young woman with dark hair in a bright orange and yellow dress raced towards Eugene with a smile that stretched ear to ear. 

“Hi, Aunt Will-oof!” Eugene was cut off when Willow wrapped her arms around him tightly. 

“It’s been so long since you’ve come to visit!” She said happily. “And Pascal!” She let go to give Pascal a tight hug, who was slightly more prepared than Eugene had been.

“And who’s this?” She smiled at Rapunzel.

“This is my friend Rapunzel,” Eugene said, nudging her forward. “She’s also sometimes an eight foot tall warrior called the Sundrop, so don’t get freaked out when that happens.” 

“Hi.” Rapunzel said awkwardly.

“Rapunzel!” Willow said. “How nice that Eugene has finally started making new friends! We were all so pleased when he started bringing Pascal around, I was sure he made him up at first!” She laughed to herself, and Eugene looked embarrassed.

Willow refocused on Eugene. “Oh, you’ve done something with your hair?”

“Yes,” Eugene said. “I grew it out.”

“I can see that,” Willow said, looking thoughtful. “And I also see you’re not wearing the sweater I knitted you. Don’t you like it?”

“No no! I like it! It’s great!” Eugene lied. “It’s just...a little warm for sweaters right now, so…”

“But you’d tell me if you didn’t like it.” Willow said.

“Yes, I’d tell you.” Eugene lied once again.

“I’m wearing the socks you sent me!” Pascal volunteered.

“Well, I’ve always been fond of this one.” Willow chuckled. She glanced back at Eugene. “So, what brings you all the way out here to visit your aunt? Is it once in a blue moon already?” She laughed at her own joke. 

“We’re on a diplomatic mission,” Eugene said. “We’re rebuilding the Royal Alliance-”

“My goodness!” Willow said suddenly. “You must be starving. I’ll have a feast prepared! I’m sure your mother hasn’t been feeding you…”

Eugene sighed, allowing Willow to chatter on, leading them into the great city of Mystacor.

*** *** ***

“Wow.” Rapunzel breathed, watching dozens of sorcerers practicing their magic in the grass. They all seemed so happy and relaxed.

“You’ve come at the perfect time,” Willow said. “There’s an eclipse this evening. I’m headed right now to the Lunarium to inspect it for the ceremony. And nothing would make me happier than to give my favorite nephew and his friends a tour!”

“Uh…” Eugene chuckled. “Pascal and I have already had the tour. And we don’t wanna get in your way.”

“It’s all right,” Pascal said. “Rapunzel hasn’t seen it. It’ll be fun!”

Eugene scowled at Pascal slightly, who ignored him.

“Oh!” Willow said. “I guess it’s up to Rapunzel, then. What do you say, dear?”

Eugene shook his head from behind Willow, and Rapunzel blinked. “Uh…” She decided she’d rather earn the favor of Willow. “Sure?”

Eugene made a face, but Willow smiled. “Oh, I like her!”

Eugene grumbled something, but followed Willow up to a large building. The walls were completely covered in purple crystals, and the center of the ceiling was opened to the sky. Four larger crystals hung suspended around it, sparkling softly in the sunlight. “Wow…” Rapunzel said, looking around, already memorizing every part of the room so she could paint it later. 

“The lunar lenses,” Willow said. “We use them in monthly ceremonies to renew Mystacor’s defenses and keep us shielded from the outside world.” She looked at Rapunzel eagerly. “You will be coming to the Eclipse Ceremony tonight, won’t you?”

“Aunt Willow,” Eugene said. “I’ve seen the ceremony dozens of times. And we’re all really tired from traveling. Maybe we’ll skip it this time?”

“Nonsense!” Willow said. “Your friend Rapunzel hasn’t seen it, and it’s quite a sight to behold for a newcomer! Besides, don’t you want to spend more time with your aunt?”

“Of course!” Eugene said. “We just...really wanted to show Rapunzel the beach!”

“Well, if the beach is the only reason you’re here, I really shouldn’t keep you, should I? I certainly don’t want to waste your time.” Willow said, her voice slightly hurt. Rapunzel wandered around the room, trying to count how many crystals there were. 

“Aunt Willow, I didn’t mean it that way.” Eugene said. Rapunzel froze when she saw something dark and indistinctive behind her in her reflection, and whirled around, panic rising in her chest-

Nothing was there.

“Rapunzel?” Pascal asked, watching her run out after the shadow.

Willow blinked. “Well, someone is enthusiastic.”

Rapunzel came to a stop in a long hall, tall stone statues of people she didn’t recognize lining the walls. She panted slightly, looking around for the shadow. There was nothing, and she was starting to wonder if the lack of sleep was driving her crazy.

“Ah, the Hall of Sorcerers,” Willow said, coming up next to her, not seeming to notice her expression. “These are the Great Ones who have led Mystacors through the ages.”

She paused a familiar looking man, and Rapunzel realized with a start that she had seen him on a stained glass window at the castle. “This is Edmund,” Willow said. “My brother. We trained in these very halls together. Eugene looks just like him, you know.”

Eugene chuckled. “You’re the only one that thinks that, Aunt Willow. But thanks anyway.”

“Wait,” Rapunzel said. “Eugene’s dad was your brother?”

“Rapunzel, do you know what ‘aunt’ means?” Pascal whispered. 

“No. I was hoping someone would explain it eventually.” She admitted. 

“Aunt Willow, we’re going to avenge my dad and make sure the Horde doesn’t hurt anyone else,” Eugene said. “Mom believes in us. And in the Sundrop.”

Willow smiled, but it was slightly stained by old grief. “Well, if your mother believes in you, who am I not to? She’s an angelic being after all, and I’m just a common sorceress.”

“Please not this again.” Eugene groaned. 

“She never writes to me, you know,” Willow went on. “I send letters, but do I ever get a reply?”

Rapunzel glanced down the line of statues, pausing when she came to one of a woman, obscured by shadow. It made her nervous, but she couldn’t explain why. “What happened to her?” 

Willow frowned. “Light Spinner. A scar on Mystacor’s past. She sought power and complete control above all else, and was cast out. Although,” Willow said, her voice taking on a mysterious tone. “Some say she never truly left. That she’s only biding her time, waiting to exact revenge.”

Eugene and Pascal glanced at each other. “But those are only children’s tales, of course,” Willow chuckled. “Anyway, on with the tour. Are you hungry?”

Willow chattered on, but Rapunzel looked back at the statue, still nervous. The shadows that obscured it suddenly twisted as though writhing in agony. She gasped in horror, stumbling back, looking at the others to see if they saw it too. They were gone, and Rapunzel looked back at the statue in terror-

There was nothing there. No moving shadows. Just a statue that still made her jittery. She squinted, trying to make out the features of it-

Eugene and Pascal appeared next to her in a flash of light, and Rapunzel shrieked. “Okay!” Eugene said. “Aunt Willow’s gone to make us dinner, so it’s finally beach time!”

The two paused at Rapunzel's odd expression. “You okay?” Pascal asked.

Rapunzel didn’t answer, half-expecting shadows to spring at them.

“We need warm sand and calming waves,” Eugene decided. “Like, yesterday.”

*** *** ***

Gothel smiled to herself, watching her adopted daughter’s eyes darted around the room through the green liquid in her basin. 

“It’s time for something more.” She decided, delicately touching the surface of the basin. Shadows swirled around it, and Gothel’s smile grew, her face reflected eerily in the dim light.

In the Hall of Sorcerers, a solid shadow drew itself to its full height, growling unintelligibly.

*** *** ***

“So we just…” Rapunzel trailed off, watching Eugene and Pascal set down towels on the shores of the cloud ocean. “Lie here?”

“Mhm,” Eugene said. “Let your cares melt away. Didn’t you do something to relax like this in the Horde?”

“Uh, no,” Rapunzel said. “We hit things.”

“Disappointing but not surprising,” Eugene decided, taking a seat. “Well, this is so much better, right? Just try it, okay?”

Rapunzel sighed. “Okay.” She said, setting her towel out and laying back on it. She stared up at the clouds, trying to force herself to relax.

Instead she got bored.

She popped her lips, watching clouds go by, antsy. She wriggled, trying to find a more comfortable position with little success. 

Eugene sighed. “This isn’t working, is it?”

“No, I kind of hate it,” Rapunzel said. “Can I move now?”

“Yes.” Eugene said, and Rapunzel sat up. He sighed, and then perked up. “Oh, hey, I know something you’ll love! Pascal!”

Pascal jerked, evidently having fallen asleep. “Whazzat?!”

“Come on, we gotta show Rapunzel the garden! She’ll love that.” Eugene said.

“Woo!” Pascal cheered. “Garden!”

*** *** ***

Eugene grinned at Rapunzel’s awestruck look. “Told you so.”

The garden was practically glowing with life, large green trees stretching high high, their trunks covered in honeysuckle vines that had a gentle sweet scent to them. Flowers lined the ground, not cultivated in a uniform way, but allowed to spread and grow to their own liking. The free-range method had done wonders for their blossoms, so bright and colorful that they almost didn’t look real. 

“Oh, _wow_ ,” Rapunzel said, gently touching the petals of a bright red rose. “I wish I had my journal and art supplies.”

“I can probably find you some paper and something to draw with,” Eugene said. “Not anything fancy like back home, just something so you can save it for later and copy it down.”

“Would you?” Rapunzel asked. “I don’t want to bug you…”

“It’s no problem. Come on, Pascal, help me look,” He waved at Pascal. “We’ve been here a million times, we won’t miss anything.”

Rapunzel smiled. “Thank you.”

Eugene grabbed Pascal, and the two disappeared in a flash of light. Rapunzel forced herself to take a deep breath, kneeling down to examine the rose more closely. 

“Rapunzel…” The rose withered, and Rapunzel stood up straight, her heart skipping a beat. The few shadows in the garden twisted, coming together and swirling to become darker, more solid. A figure rose up from them, and Rapunzel stumbled back, horror flooding her as she saw the figure of Gothel standing before her, reaching out. 

“GET BACK!” She shouted, even as she prepared to run for her life. Gothel couldn’t be here, it wasn’t possible. She grabbed at her flower, ready to attack-

“We’re back-HEY!” Eugene jumped back as Rapunzel whirled around, fists balled and ready to lunge before she realized it was them. “What gives?!”

“My mother! She’s here!” Rapunzel said, panicked.

Pascal looked puzzled. “There’s no one here.”

“But-” Rapunzel turned back to the rose bush, and the shadow figure of Gothel was gone. The rose blossom was untouched, and it almost seemed taunting now. “I...I saw her!”

“Blondie, are you alright? You’ve been on edge ever since we got here. More so than usual.” Eugene said, still holding paper and a pen.

“She was here!” Rapunzel insisted, feeling oddly panicky. “In the sorcerer’s hall too! I saw her shadow on the floor!”

“What are you talking about?” Eugene asked. “Blondie, she’s not here. She was never here, it’s not possible.”

“You don’t know what she’s capable of!” Rapunzel insisted. “I’m not crazy!”

“I didn’t say you were.” Eugene said. 

“She’s not here, Rapunzel,” Pascal said. “You’re okay. You’re safe.”

Rapunzel pinched the bridge of her nose, forcing herself to take a deep breath. Eugene and Pascal were right. They had to be. It was just stress and the lack of sleep playing tricks on her. Gothel wasn’t here, it was impossible.

And yet…

“Do you wanna try anything else?” Eugene asked. “You can still draw, or we can find you something to beat up if that’s more your style.”

Rapunzel chuckled, somehow. “No, I...I just need a second alone. To clear my head.”

“Are you sure?” Pascal asked.

“Yeah, I...I’m okay.” Rapunzel forced herself to smile.

Eugene and Pascal glanced at each other. “I’ll just leave these with you then.” Eugene set the art supplies on a bench.

“Thanks.” Rapunzel said, watching them leave, still looking concerned for her.

Once they were out of sight, she sighed deeply, sitting down on the bench. Her head hurt, and she felt humiliated with herself. She was being ridiculous, and probably ruining the day for everyone else.

“Rapunzel’s finally lost it.” Rapunzel froze when she heard Eugene’s voice, right outside the garden. She stood up quickly, wondering if she had misheard, creeping towards where she had heard him.

“Did you see her in there?” Eugene continued, though she couldn’t quite see him. “I think she’s going nuts.”

Rapunzel scowled, stomping out of the garden. “I’m not-” She froze. No one was there. 

“...crazy.” She finished, though she was really starting to doubt it.

*** *** ***

Rapunzel glared at the statue of Light Spinner, willing herself not to edge away from it. “You’re just a stupid staute.” She told it. The statue did not attempt to defend itself.

“Pull it together, Rapunzel,” She muttered to herself. “There’s no way Mother can be here.”

She turned, and her shadow twisted on the floor, suddenly lunging. Rapunzel yelped, but wasn’t quick enough to dodge before she was thrown back. The shadow glided out of the hall, whispering something Rapunzel couldn’t quite hear. 

“For the honor of Der Sonne!” Rapunzel shouted, feeling no less panicked when she turned into the Sundrop.

She whirled around, clutching her hair tightly, ready to lash out at anything that moved, but there didn’t appear to be anything.

“Hey, Raps.”

The Sundrop gasped, whirling around to try and see the source of the voice, but there was nothing. “Cassandra?!” She called out, her voice pitched. “Where are you?! How did you find me here?!”

She heard Cassandra laughing, and the sound of footsteps running down the hall into the Lunarium. The Sundrop ran after them, skidding to a stop in front of the entrance. The room was dark, shadows lurking in the corners and dancing at the edges of her vision. The Sundrop stepped forward.

“Nope.” Cassandra said, and the Sundrop whirled around. Cassandra was nowhere to be seen, though the Sundrop heard her laugh once again. “Getting colder.” She said, voice taunting.

“Whatever you’re doing, I won’t let you get away with it!” The Sundrop shouted. “Did my mother send you?”

“What do you think?” Cassandra asked. “Gothel controls us. She always has. Did you really think she would let you go that easily?” Cassandra’s voice grew distant. 

“Cass, wait!” The Sundrop said, running into the Lunarium head on. Cassandra’s taunting laugh echoed, and the Sundrop shivered. 

She heard a different laugh, and she gasped.

“The Horde had such high hopes for you, Force Captain,” Hector’s quiet voice echoed. “Disappointing. Does the Rebellion truly think you can save them?” He spat.

The Sundrop spun frantically, dizzy by now. “Nothing can stop the Horde,” Hector declared. “Least of all _you_.”

“Show yourself!” The Sundrop commanded, but her voice shook.

Hector laughed. “You will lead them all, every Etherian, to their complete and utter annihilation. Nothing will be left but smoking ruins.”

The Sundrop paused, seeing her reflection once again in the crystals. Hector’s leering yellow eyes suddenly appeared behind her. “With your new friends buried beneath!” He cackled.

“GAH!” The Sundrop whirled around, sending a blast of magical light toward where Hector had been behind her moments before. 

But there was nothing there.

The blast hit the wall of crystals opposite to her, and they all promptly shattered with a loud crash, bits and pieces sparkling on the ground as though mocking her. Willow raced in, apparently alerted by the noise, and gasped in horror. She fell to her knees, grabbing at shards, face slack in shock.

She looked up at the Sundrop. “What...what have you done?!”

“I-” Rapunzel reappeared, shaking. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to...I thought-”

“Rapunzel!” Eugene and Pascal raced in. Eugene paused, looking at the destruction. “What happened? Are you okay?”

“Your friend has destroyed thousands of years worth of sacred crystals!” Willow said, looking angry. “She could’ve destroyed the lenses that protect Mystacor!”

“She didn’t mean too,” Pascal said immediately. “Rapunzel would never-”

“Is this the kind of person you hang around with?!” Willow snapped at Eugene, and then immediately stormed out.

“Aunt Willow, wait!” Eugene blinked, looking shocked. 

“Eugene-” Rapunzel said, feeling awful, but Eugene shook his head.

“It’s okay, I’ll handle her.” Eugene raced out after his aunt.

“The Horde isn’t here, Rapunzel,” Pascal said. “You need to sleep. Promise me you’ll try?”

Rapunzel took a shaky breath, feeling nauseous for some reason. She forced herself to nod, which seemed to placate Pascal. 

“Good,” He said. “I’m sure it’ll all be okay.”

He grinned, but it did nothing to help.

*** *** ***

Rapunzel was exhausted, but couldn’t seem to make herself fall asleep, staring at the dimming sky from the window. There was a knock on her door, and she sat up quickly as Eugene ducked in.

She sighed in relief. “Oh, Eugene, I-”

“Save it, Rapunzel,” He snapped, and she recoiled at his sudden harshness. “How could you do this? I thought you were supposed to be our friend.”

“I am your friend.” Rapunzel said weakly.

“You’ve ruined everything I’ve worked for,” Eugene scoffed. “What kind of friend does that?”

“Eugene-” Rapunzel reached out for him, but he turned away.

“You know what? Maybe you should just go.” He snapped. Before she could respond, he turned around, slamming the door as he left.

Rapunzel hung her head, feeling completely horrible. Oddly, she wished Cassandra were here.

She didn’t see Eugene dissolve into shadow on the other side of the door.

*** *** ***

Willow traced a glowing triangle with her hand and smiled as a soft blue glow lit up the Lunarium and the faces of the other sorcerers around her. Eugene leaned over to Pascal. “Is Rapunzel coming?”

“I didn’t wanna wake her up,” Pascal said. “She needs to sleep.”

Eugene frowned, disappointed, but didn’t argue. Willow stepped forward, smiling when the moon moved into position. She raised her arm, and one of the lenses rose up, lighting up. With practiced ease, she directed the lenses to their respective places until the light from them reflected all around the Lunarium.

She stepped up to the basin, and froze.

Shadows swirled within it, whispering evil nothings. 

Willow opened her mouth, though what she was going to say, no one knew. The shadows sprung from the bowl, spreading around the room within seconds, killing the light from the lenses. Within seconds, the room was dark.

Willow stumbled back with a horrified gasp, and a shadowy figure rose from the basin, twisting and contorting into shape. It let out a noise that might have been laughter, and the room plunged into darkness.

*** *** ***

Rapunzel paused, looking up at the protective barrier around Mystacor. It flickered, and she blinked, wondering if it was part of the ritual.

Then the terrified shrieking started, and she realized it probably wasn’t.

“Rapunzel!” She turned to see Pascal sprinting towards her. “Come on, we have to get out of here now!” He ran past her, never stopping, expecting her to follow.

She did, heart racing. “What’s happening?!”

“The protection spell is failing, we need to go!” Pascal said.

“Wait, hang on! What do you mean, failing? Where-” Rapunzel looked around wildly. “Where’s Eugene?!”

She reached out, grabbing at his shoulder. Her hand went right through it, and she gasped.

Pascal stopped immediately, frozen. He slowly turned his head to look at her, and Rapunzel shivered.

“Everything that’s about to happen is your fault, Rapunzel.” Pascal said in a lifeless voice. His eyes went red and mean, and his body dissolved into shadow. “You’re to blame.” The shadow thing said, but in a voice Rapunzel knew too well.

Rapunzel’s hand went to her mouth in shock, and she looked back to the Lunarium. And, oddly, the loudest emotion wasn’t fear. It was rage that Gothel would _dare_ hurt her friends. 

She turned, sprinting to the Lunarium as fast as she could. She skidded to a stop at the entrance, her heart skipping a beat when she saw Willow and the other sorcerers lying unmoving on the ground. She saw Eugene and Pascal still and quiet as well, but felt a slight touch of relief when Pascal’s hand twitch. They were alive, for now at least.

“Rapunzel!” Rapunzel stumbled back when she saw the shadows in the center of the room twist into Gothel, unmistakable this time, her face smiling and welcoming despite the disaster around her. “Hello, my darling.”

“Mother!” Rapunzel forced herself not to shrink away. “Let them go!”

Gothel smiled sweetly. “The eclipse is nearly over, Rapunzel,” She said, looking up at the sky. “And when it is, the shields will be down. The Horde will come to Mystacor, and bring you home where you belong,” Gothel reached out to touch Rapunzel’s cheek. “Back to me.”

Rapunzel swatted her hand away, the motion jerky and panicked. Gothel frowned. “Is that any way to treat your mother?”

“I won’t let you,” Rapunzel said. “I’ll stop you!”

Gothel tilted her head. “Why?” She asked, voice soft and understanding. “To help these people?” She scowled at the people lying on the ground, helpless to defend themselves. 

“Who are they to you? They don’t understand you. Just as they did not understand me when I walked among them as Light Spinner!” Gothel snapped.

Rapunzel felt faint. “W-what?”

“They feared my power,” Gothel said. “And so they cast me out. But that’s just the way of things, isn’t it?”

Gothel approached Rapunzel, who didn’t move, frozen in her place. “The outside world is a dark and dangerous place, Rapunzel,” Gothel said softly. “Full of people who will lie to you and betray you once they no longer have use of you. Do you think these so-called friends of yours would have you if you did not possess the flower?” Gothel looked at Pascal and Eugene with disgust.

“No, no! You’re wrong!” Rapunzel said, grabbing the flower. “For the honor of Der Sonne!”

The flower sparkled weakly, but nothing happened. “No, no no no no…” Rapunzel said, panic bubbling up inside her.

“You know what I say is true,” Gothel said. “You are the ambitious, cutthroat warrior I raised you to be.”

“No!” Rapunzel said, but she was shaking.

“Come home, my darling,” Gothel said, her voice so incredibly kind. “These people are not your family. They will never accept you. Not like I do.”

She reached out, and Rapunzel almost leaned into her touch-

And then she caught sight of Eugene and Pascal, and thought of the paper and pen, the sleepovers, the nicknames and teasing, and how at _home_ she felt with them.

“You’re wrong.” Rapunzel said, stepping back.

Gothel’s face hardened. “Come again?”

“These are my friends, they’ve been kind to me!” Rapunzel gestured. “You’re the one that’s been using me, not them!”

“I prepared you for greatness!” Gothel said. 

“You never loved me,” Rapunzel said, something akin to strength building inside her. “You just played your twisted mind games, and I’m none of the things you ever said I was. I’m nothing like you, I won’t ever be anything like you!”

She stepped forward, and this time, Gothel was the one who stepped back. “And I will never let you use me again!”

Gothel’s face was white with shock, and then slowly contorted into one of rage. “You want me to be the bad guy?” She asked quietly. “Fine. Now I’m the bad guy.”

Shadows sprung at Rapunzel, and she held up the flower, unsure of what she was doing. But the flower shined brightly, twisting into a shield, and light burst from it. Gothel shouted, ducking away.

Rapunzel blinked, but there was no time to process it. She had to fix this, and now. 

She ran to a tall pillar into the corner of the room, shimmying up it as quickly as she could before Gothel regained her senses. She leapt onto a lens, and heard Gothel laugh.

“I can give you Etheria!” Gothel shouted. “We can rule together!”

Rapunzel shivered when she felt Gothel grab her shoulder, strong and harsh even in shadow form. “You were nothing before I took you in, Rapunzel,” She hissed. “And you will be nothing without me!”

Rapunzel pushed her away, leaping to the next ledge. “You’re weak!” Gothel shouted, and Rapunzel struggled to fend off the shadows. “Useless! You would never make it on the outside world without me!”

Rapunzel shuddered, trying to ignore the jabs that Gothel had made over and over again for so long that they felt like truths. There was no time to wallow in her own past and present failures; she couldn't afford to fail now. Her friends needed her.

Rapunzel made it to the top, and froze when she saw Gothel standing there. Gothel held her arms out, smiling as though nothing had happened. “Oh, Rapunzel,” She said. “Enough of this. Come home with mummy.”

Rapunzel looked up at the moon, and down at her shield. “You,” She said in a low voice. “Are not my mother.”

She held up the shield, and the light reflected off it, bouncing between the lenses once more, overtaking the shadow. “NO!” Gothel wailed, but it was too late. She melted away, and the room lit up, bright and joyful once more. 

(Back in the Fright Zone, Gothel collapsed to the ground, streaks of gray running through her hair. But who was there to see it?)

Willow stirred, standing up shakily with a slight wince. The moon passed over the opening in the ceiling, and Rapunzel sagged in relief when she saw the protective shield shining over her, brighter than ever. She made her way down, still clutching the shield.

“Rapunzel!” Eugene shouted, rushing over to her. “Are you okay?”

“Eugene! Pascal!” Rapunzel smiled when the two hugged her tightly. “I...yeah, I’m okay. She’s gone.”

“I’m so sorry we didn’t believe you,” Pascal said. “We’ve been bad friends.”

“No, no!” Rapunzel shook her head. “That’s...that’s what she does. She manipulates people, tears them apart. But it’s never gonna work on me again.” 

Rapunzel caught sight of Willow looking at her, and she hung her head. “I’m sorry, it was my fault she was even here. I endangered Mystacor.”

Willow smiled softly. “Nonsense. You saved Mystacor. Eugene has chosen his friends well. Oh!” Her eyes widened. “I’ll knit you a sweater! What size are you in the shoulders?”

Rapunzel laughed, finally feeling the knot in her stomach uncurl.

She was safe.

*** *** ***

Cassandra poked her head in the room. “Gothel?” She called softly. “It’s...been a while. People are getting suspicious.”

She paused when she saw Gothel on the ground. For a second, terror went through her, but then she saw the woman’s chest rising and falling, and she chuckled, making her way over to the still glowing basin.

“You’ve been going about this the wrong way, old lady,” She chuckled, looking in. “If you wanna take down Rapunzel, you gotta go for the biggest target.”

The basin shimmered, and she saw Rapunzel laughing, walking in step with those two new _stupid_ friends of her’s.

Cassandra felt her smile widen.

“You gotta go for the heart.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> unrelated but can we get some more seamista and double trouble love up in this fandom? seamista is the bicon couple in competition for first place with new dream and double trouble is just...DAMN


	8. I Just Wanna Dance With You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> me?!?! broadway title references???? nah!!!
> 
> also, I should add that im not intending to write pascal and eugene as a couple. I know pascal is a human here and eugene is definitely bi but...you know. not really a pairing i have much interest in exploring. if you want to read them as romantic tho go for it!

“Uh, guys?” Rapunzel asked, knocking on Eugene’s door. “I got an invite for the All-Royal Ball, Winter Wonderland. What’s...that?” She squinted at the ornate scroll, struggling to make out the loopy writing.

“You got the invite?!” Eugene’s door opened, and Eugene and Pascal stuck their heads out, grinning wildly. “That’s great! Oh, you’re gonna love it, it’s so much fun-” He was talking too fast for Rapunzel to comprehend, and she stepped back.

“Okay, you’ve gone crazy, got it,” She said. “I’ll come back later…”

“The All-Royal Ball is a meeting for all the royals in Etheria!” Pascal said. 

“And a _giant_ party!” Eugene grinned from ear to ear. “Fancy clothes, food, dancing-”

“Dancing?” Rapunzel said with uncertainty.

“It only happens once a decade,” Eugene said. “I’ve been waiting years for this!”

“Ah…” Rapunzel furrowed her brow. “But you know...I’m only a princess sometimes, does that even count?”

“Of course you count!” Eugene chuckled, shaking his head. “Every royal is invited. That includes you.”

“It’s all in the invite.” Pascal explained, grabbing the scroll from Rapunzel. He shook it, and several more feet of paper unfurled from it. 

Rapunzel blinked, picking up a chunk, reading aloud. “‘Rules for greeting hostess...expected curtsy depth...proper stair-descending etiquette-is this really all necessary?”

“Not really,” Eugene admitted. “It’s pretty steeped in tradition. But once you get down to it, it’s the party of the decade, trust me. And the twin princesses, Catalina and Keira, are hosting this year in Ingvarr, Kingdom of the Snows. Their magic is incredibly powerful. They’ll be a huge get for the Rebellion!”

Rapunzel made an uncertain noise, looking at the endless list of rules and etiquette. “Don’t worry!” Eugene smiled at her. “I’ll be right there with you! And so will Pascal, he’s going as my plus one.”

“Uh-” Pascal started, but Eugene elbowed Rapunzel.

“Last time we went, my mom came too since we were still kids, it’ll be more fun to go alone! Last time we stuffed our pockets with the snacks and somehow managed to sneak out without anyone noticing,” Eugene chuckled. “Together, the three of us can handle anything.”

“I’m actually going with Fidella.” Pascal coughed.

Eugene blinked. “Come again?”

*** *** ***

“I’m sick of this!” Cassandra snapped, pacing the room. “Gothel failed getting Rapunzel, and if Hector finds out she’s disobeying him, she’ll take us down with her! She’s obsessed!”

Lance glanced at Cassandra, wondering if she heard the irony in her statement. Probably not.

“We need to look at the big picture,” Cassandra decided. “It’s time for someone new to take over: me.” She scowled at Lance. “So, you in?”

“Er.” Lance said.

“Unfortunately, you’re the only one around here I can trust.” Cassandra said glumly.

“Because we’re best friends.” Lance smiled.

Cassandra growled. “Stop being so… _you_ and help me think!” She resumed pacing. “I have the beginning of a plan, but it’s not enough. I need to capture Rapunzel so Gothel doesn’t demote me, and I need to impress Hector so he’ll make me the new Gothel! How do I both?!”

“Why don’t you try something at the All-Royal Ball?” Lance asked. “Every royal is gonna be there, so Rapunzel probably will be too.” 

Cassandra glanced at him to yell at him for the stupid idea, and then paused when she noticed he was reading a long, ornate looking scroll. “Hey, this year’s theme is Winter Wonderland!” Lance said. 

“How did you get your hands on that?!” Cassandra asked, rushing over to peer at the scroll over his shoulder. Sure enough, it was an invitation to the ball.

“They sent it to me,” Lance shrugged. “I’m a prince.”

Cassandra blinked. “What?! You?!”

“Yeah!” Lance chuckled. “The Horde crash-landed here in my family’s kingdom. We let them stay. My family gave Hector our runestone, the Black Garnet.”

“You’re a prince?” Cassandra asked, still unable to process this development.

Lance tilted his head. “I thought everyone knew. I mean, it’s covered in Force Captain orientation.”

Cassandra frowned. “I’m beginning to think I shouldn’t have skipped that…” She furrowed her brow, thinking. “Okay, you’re a prince, and you’re going to a royal ball.”

Oh, no,” Lance shook his head. “I’m not going. No one liked my family even before we joined the Horde. I really don’t fit in with the other royals, you know? They...don’t like me.” Lance tried to smile as though it didn’t bother him, but he was unsuccessful. 

Cassandra paused, a million thoughts going through her head. “And...that’s exactly why you have to go! How dare those other royals pretend they’re better than you?” She shook her head in disgust. “How dare they abandon people just because they don’t fit in with their perfect little lives?!”

“Yeah!” Lance grinned.

“How dare they take best friends and turn them into giant blonde ladies with too much hair who run off with people who are clearly inferior to you?!” Cassandra finished.

Lance paused. “Just to be clear, we’re still talking about the ball, right?”

“Absolutely,” Cassandra said. “It’s time to show those stuffy royals a thing or two. You’re going, and I’m coming as your plus one, and we are going to make this a night that no one will ever forget!”

“Super Pal Duo is going to prom!” Lance cheered.

“Don’t call us that.”

*** *** ***

“She asked and I said yes,” Pascal said, struggling slightly to keep up with Eugene. “I didn’t think it was a big deal.”

“It’s not. It’s fine,” Eugene said. “I’m just...surprised. I mean, when did you two even talk about it?”

“Oh, she was super slick.” Pascal chuckled.

*** *** ***

_An explosion rang in Pascal’s ears, and he threw himself away from the blast, feeling the heat sting his face slightly. A robot whirred to life, and he quickly loaded an arrow and shot it, watching as sparks burst from it._

_Chaos reigned on the Equis battlefield, and Pascal stumbled back, bumping into someone. He turned, seeing Fidella struggling to keep several Horde soldiers at bay with her vines._

_She smiled when she saw him. “Wanna go to the Ball with me?”_

_“Okay!” Pascal said._

_Fidella smiled, throwing the Horde soldiers into the distance._

*** *** ***

“Very slick.” Eugene said dryly.

“I thought it’d be fun,” Pascal said. “And Fidella’s cool.”

“Yeah, she’s fine,” Eugene said. “I...it’s just we always go to these events together. We have a routine, we wear outfits with big pockets to steal food, tell inside jokes...it’s our thing!”

“Well, there’s nothing wrong with a new thing!” Pascal said. He started down the hall. “Look, I gotta get ready. We’ll hang out with you guys there.”

Eugene sighed deeply, watching him go.

“Eugene!” Rapunzel’s head burst out from behind a door, and she looked slightly frantic. “Good. No time to waste!” She grabbed his arm, yanking him into the room with a yelp.

“Hey-” Eugene paused, seeing papers and charts plastered all over her walls. “Are you solving a murder?”

“I’ve been studying the invite,” Rapunzel said, leaning over a table covered with tactical pins and writing. “Advance prep will be the key to success, so I’ve divided the rules into base parts.”

She pointed to a larger chart. “Dance rules, etiquette rules, and rules for greeting the hostesses,” She went back to her tactical table. “Then I divided the ballroom into quadrants and I’m familiarizing myself with the targets. Ask me anything!” She handed Eugene several notecards.

“Princess Keira and Catalina?” He asked, fumbling with a notecard.

“Twin rulers of Ingvarr. It’s their first time hosting the ball, biggest kingdom outside of Corona, neutral in the fight against the Horde.” Rapunzel said, looking satisfied. She motioned to her chart. “Allies with the Star Sisters, who are friends with Stalyan, but not Sweet Bee, who’s dating Peekablue, as you can clearly tell from the string.”

She motioned to the strings once again. “Up means friends, down means frenemies-oh, and I made an obstacle course!” She pointed to the other side of the room, where she had laid out several of her items in what Eugene had originally assumed was just a mess.

“I’m feeling pretty good!” Rapunzel grinned. “I’ve prepared for any and all possible scenarios.”

“Congratulations,” Eugene said, smiling slightly in spite of himself. “Do you have anything to wear?”

Rapunzel paused. “I was...just gonna go as the Sundrop. She has better hair.”

“Um, you can’t,” Eugene said. “They have a strict no weapons rule. It’s a neutral zone, and your flower counts as a weapon.”

Rapunzel frowned, and then groaned loudly. “Now what am I supposed to do?!”

Eugene smiled. “I may be of some assistance.”

*** *** ***

“Ow! Stop it, you keep stabbing me!” Rapunzel said, jerking away from Eugene, rubbing her head from where he had poked her once again with a bobby pin.

Eugene sighed. “I wouldn’t if you stopped moving. Jeez, your normal hair looks like you cut it yourself with dull scissors.”

“I did!” Rapunzel said. 

“Hm,” Eugene said. “Well, I’m guessing they probably don’t have hair stylists in the Horde.”

Rapunzel giggled. “No...how do you know how to do this, anyway?”

“I’m a man of many talents,” Eugene said, pinning an unruly lock of hair back and pausing. “And my mom used to let me play with her hair when I was little.”

“Aw…” Rapunzel smiled at the mental image.

“I was like, five,” He chuckled. “Leave me alone.”

“No, it’s sweet!” Rapunzel laughed, wincing when Eugene once again stabbed her with a pin.

“Sorry, your skull is a funny shape.” Eugene said.

“Oh, shush,” Rapunzel rolled her eyes. “That’s sweet, I...wish I had that, I guess.”

“Ah, right. Sorry.” Eugene said.

“It’s not your fault. So you just kinda...taught yourself it?” Rapunzel asked.

“Essentially. You’re still squirming.” Eugene said.

“Sorry.” Rapunzel quiet, trying to ignore the uncomfortable feeling of pins sifting through her hair. She twiddled her fingers, thinking. “I...I don’t know if I ever said this, but I’m sorry. About your dad, I mean.”

She heard him pause. “...what brought that up?” Eugene asked quietly.

“I dunno. I was just thinking about it. I guess.” She said quietly.

“Hm,” Eugene said. “Well, it’s not your fault, but thanks, I guess. I don’t…” He paused for a second, as if unsure he wanted to voice his next thought. “I don’t really remember him, anyway.”

“You don’t remember him at all?” Rapunzel asked.

“I was really little when it happened. So…” Eugene shrugged. “I mean...I do remember he used to read me this book. ‘The Tales of Flynnagan Rider’. It was kind of our thing. I loved that stupid book, he was probably sick of reading it.” Eugene chuckled.

Rapunzel smiled. “I’m sure he loved doing it.”

“Not sure if I actually remember it or if it’s just something my mom told me and I internalized it, though.” Eugene admitted.

Rapunzel frowned. “I-” 

“Okay, done! Wait, actually-” Eugene motioned for her to sit still, running off and grabbing a long, golden hair decoration that reminded Rapunzel oddly of a knife. He carefully stuck it through her hair and smiled. “There. Now you can look.”

Rapunzel smiled and looked in the mirror.

A stranger in a simple red dress stared back at her, the usually frayed ends of her short hair curling slightly instead now, framing her face. The golden hairpin sparkled, and Rapunzel smiled. The stranger smiled back.

“Whaddya think?” Eugene asked, looking pleased.

“Thank you, Eugene.” Rapunzel said quietly.

Eugene grinned widely. “No worries, Blondie. Now come on, we don’t want to be late.”

*** *** ***

“Be careful with it,” Rapunzel said anxiously, watching the weapons confiscator take her flower. “Don’t just dump it on the ground-”

“Rapunzel, come on!” Eugene grabbed her arm, gently pulling her away.

Rapunzel took a deep breath, staring up at the massive, foreboding walls of the ice castle. She could hear music coming from inside, and she suddenly felt nervous. Eugene opened the door, and Rapunzel’s mouth dropped open.

“Woah.” She said. The room was massive and sparkling, filled with chattering people in fancy outfits that all seemed to outdo her’s. The ceiling curved upwards, a glittering chandelier hanging from it with delicate ice crystals. The music grew louder, more rapid and jaunty.

“It’s big.” Rapunzel said.

Eugene chuckled. “The Ball is one of our most ancient traditions,” He said. “A royal’s first Ball is a huge rite of passage.”

“No pressure or anything.” Rapunzel said.

“Plus Ingvarr is really big.” Eugene shrugged.

“Which is why we need Keira and Catalina.” Rapunzel said, following Eugene up to the throne. It was time for her first task: the greeting of the hostesses.

She couldn’t see the princesses, but took a deep breath the second the person in front of her turned away. She instantly went into her bow, counting how long she should hold it for in her head before smiling. It was perfect.

She looked up and blinked.

The twin princesses sat in their respective thrones, looking at Eugene and Rapunzel with bland expressions. One had dark, short hair and a slight scowl, and the other had long red hair and looked far less unforgiving. But that wasn’t the oddest part.

“That’s them?” Rapunzel asked Eugene. “But they’re like ten!” 

There was a break in the music just as Rapunzel made her keen observation, and her position in regards to the acoustics of the hall caused her words to echo across the room. The crowd went dead silent, and Rapunzel felt her face turn hot.

The dark haired girl’s expression-Keira, that was her, the redhead was Catalina-did not change. “We’re eleven and three quarters.” She said.

Eugene coughed. “Revered hostesses,” He said. “We come into your hall under the ancient rules of hospitality, bringing greetings from Corona, and the Sundrop-” Eugene nodded at Rapunzel. “-the legendary warrior.” 

Whispering broke out, and Rapunzel felt even more exposed. The girls glanced at each other, and nodded imperceptibly. “You are welcome to Ingvarr under the ancient rules of hospitality,” Keira said. “Leave conflict at the door. Please enjoy the Ball.”

“Thank you, Your-oh!” Rapunzel said when two fur-coated guards pushed her and Eugene off and away. Rapunzel sighed, glancing at Eugene. “You couldn’t have mentioned they’re little kids?!”

“You did all that research!” Eugene whispered. “I assumed you knew!” He sighed, forcing himself to calm down. “You know what? It’s fine. We still have plenty of time to win them over.”

“Oh!” Rapunzel pointed. “There’s Varian!”

“Why is he climbing the pillars?” Eugene asked, following Rapunzel over.

“Rapunzel! Eugene!” Varian said when he saw them, sliding down. “Are you here to watch the social experiment too?”

“The what?” Rapunzel asked.

Varian grinned. “Different groups are thrown together and forced to mingle. Hierarchies form and break. It’s the perfect place to observe behavior! Oh, watch out for Ruddiger.”

Eugene yelped as the raccoon fell on his head, the latter looking just as startled. Rapunzel frowned. “They let you bring a raccoon but I can’t have my flower?”

“Where’s Pascal?” Varian asked. “I wanna show him my new tape recorder!”

Eugene made a face, pushing the raccoon off his head. “He’s coming later.”

“Why didn’t he come with you? Aren’t you friends?” Varian asked. 

“Why would you think we’re not?” Eugene asked, slightly snappy.

“Hey, I’m here too,” Stalyan said, coming up to the three with a bored expression on her face. “Don’t make a big deal out of it.”

“Oh, there’s Pascal!” Varian waved wildly. “Hi!”

Eugene scowled when he saw Pascal coming down the stairs, arm in arm with the grinning Fidella. “Took him long enough. He’s never this late.”

Stalyan raised her eyebrows. She was dressed in almost the exact outfit she usually wore with only a few more bells and whistles. It made Rapunzel feel better about her own plain getup. “Not gonna get into whatever’s happening here.” She decided.

“Feelings seem to be getting hurt,” Varian said to himself, picking up Ruddiger. “People are just walking around in circles.”

“Or that,” Stalyan sighed. “Look, have you seen-”

“Oh, princess!” Stalyan blushed furiously when Sea Hawk shouted at her, rushing to her side. “Oh, sorry, my dainty sea anemone, the crowds are big and I got a little lost!” He grinned, noticing the others. “Oh, hey, it's my crew.”

“So,” Rapunzel said, smiling. “Sea Hawk’s your plus one?”

“No!” Stalyan said, shoving Sea Hawk away. Her face was bright red. “He’s just my ride.”

Sea Hawk laughed, slinging his arm around her. “Of course!” He leaned towards Rapunzel. “I am her plus one!” He whispered fervently. 

“This is the best social experiment I’ve ever been to!” Varian declared.

“Whatever,” Stalyan said, sashaying away, evidently bored with them. “Do they have a kelp bar here or something!”

“To the buffet!” Sea Hawk declared, rushing after her. 

Rapunzel chuckled, and then realized with a start the twin princesses were standing near a table, not far from her. “Oh, perfect, Keira and Catalina are alone,” She turned to Eugene. “I’m gonna try and smooth things over. Coming?”

Eugene was too busy pretending not to sulk, picking at the refreshment table. “Uh, okay, I’ll just be a minute.” Rapunzel said, and rushed over to the two sisters. 

They saw her, but pretended not too. “Revered hostess,” Rapunzel said, doing a slightly less perfect bow. “I’ve come to apologize for earlier, I was so rude.”

“Yes, you were,” Keira said. “But as you’re only an honorary princess, you can’t be expected to know better.” Catalina nodded in agreement.

Rapunzel fidgeted. “Your kingdom is truly beautiful, Princesses. I’m honored to be here.”

Keira looked at her with a deep scowl. “And now I bet you’re going to ask us about joining the Rebellion?”

Rapunzel blinked. “You know about that?”

“Of course we do,” Keira said. “Princesses talk, you know.”

“Princess Keira, Princess Catalina,” Rapunzel said, kneeling down to their height. “The Rebellion needs you. Your kingdom is the largest and most powerful, your alliance could be the key to defeating the Horde.”

“The Horde hasn’t threatened us here.” Keira said. 

“Only because Ingvarr is so far out of the way that it doesn’t matter to Hector right now,” Rapunzel argued. “Joining the Rebellion is obviously your best bet.”

“Ingvarr has defended itself perfectly well for thousands of years,” Keira snapped. “We don’t need your help or your Rebellion.”

Keira turned on her heels, marching off. “Enjoy the ball.” Catalina said quietly, though there was a slight edge to her soft voice. 

And the princesses were gone.

*** *** ***

“Where have you been?!” Eugene asked when Rapunzel collapsed on the couch next to him on the second level of the ballroom.

“I told you, winning over Keira and Catalina,” Rapunzel said. “Actually, no, failing to win over Keira and Catalina-are you listening to me?”

Eugene didn’t answer, and Rapunzel followed his gaze, seeing Pascal talking to the other princesses with a big smile on his face. Fidella said something, and he laughed.

“Why does it bother you so much?” Rapunzel asked.

“It doesn’t! Pascal can hang out with whoever he wants, it’s just…” Eugene sighed deeply. “Look, I never had many friends, okay? It’s always kind of been just me and Pascal. I’m just...what if he ditches me or something?”

“That’s not gonna happen,” Rapunzel tried to smile at him. “Trust me, Pascal isn’t the kind to leave his friends behind, and neither am…”

She trailed off, her heart skipping several beats when she saw Cassandra waltz into the palace, a self satisfied grin on her face, walking in step with a taller man that Rapunzel didn’t recognize.

“...I.” Rapunzel finished, watching them walk up to Keira and Catalina, bowing to them. She jumped to her feet, sprinting down.

“Hey!” Eugene said, close behind her. “What’s wrong?!”

“Revered hostesses!” Rapunzel gasped, skidding to a stop right as Cassandra and the other guy were about to leave. “You can’t let them in, they’re from the Horde!”

“Revered hostesses,” Cassandra said. “Prince Lance was invited, as per the rules of the Ball. Rules which I personally have the utmost respect for.”

Cassandra smirked, insufferable, and Rapunzel wanted to tackle her and ruin her perfect velvet red suit. “You do not!” She snapped.

“Princess Rapunzel!” Keira snapped. “The rules clearly state that all royals and their chosen guests are welcome.”

“They’re up to something, I can feel it!” Rapunzel said, glaring daggers at Cassandra. Cassandra stuck out her tongue. “You have to-”

“That’s enough!” Keira stood up, looking angry. “You look at us and see children, but we have worked too hard to gain respect, only to throw it away because you feel they’re up to something! For centuries, the All-Royal Ball has been neutral ground. I will not dishonor that legacy!”

She pointed at Lance and Cassandra. “Lance is a prince. Princes get a plus one. They stay.”

Rapunzel opened her mouth to argue, but Eugene out his hand on her shoulder warningly. “Blondie, the guards are looking.” He whispered. 

Rapunzel looked, and saw he was right. The guards were staring at her, tense and ready to spring. She forced herself to take a deep breath and stepped away. 

“Really, Raps,” Cassandra chuckled. “I’m shocked. We’re not breaking any rules, didn’t you read the invite?”

“I know you’re plotting something.” Rapunzel snapped. She stepped forward, glaring, but Cassandra merely smiled wider. “From now until the second the ball ends, I’ll be watching. Wherever you two go, I go.”

Cassandra and Lance glanced at each other. Cassandra shrugged. “Suit yourself,” She said, and the pair split in opposite directions. “Have fun following us!”

“Ugh…” Rapunzel said. “Eugene, you take Lance, I’ll get Cassandra.”

“What a night.” Eugene said, but he disappeared in a flash of light.

*** *** ***

Eugene watched Pascal walk by, and paused.

He glanced at Lance, who was busy sampling the refreshments. He looked like he was going to try all of them, and he had a long way to go.

Eugene began backing away slowly, never taking his eyes off of Lance. When Lance didn’t seem to notice his leaving, he turned and rushed after Pascal.

“Pascal!” He called, and the archer turned.

“Oh, there you are Eugene!” Pascal smiled. “You keep slipping away!”

“A talent of mine,” Eugene shrugged, and then coughed. “Look. Pascal, I know things have been weird between us tonight, so I...I wanted to say-”

“I forgive you.” Pascal said.

“I accept your apology.” Eugene said at the same time, and then blinked.

Pascal frowned. “My apology? Eugene, I’m allowed to hang out with other people.”

“But that’s how it starts!” Eugene said. “Then suddenly everyone has new friends and no one needs me anymore!”

“What are you talking about?” Pascal said incredulously. “You have me, plus Rapunzel, plus everyone who’s joined the Rebellion!”

“That’s what I’m talking about!” Eugene said. “It used to be just us, now everything’s changing!”

“I wanted to hang out with you, Rapunzel, _and_ Fidella tonight, but you’re the one who keeps being weird and leaving!” Pascal said. He sighed. “I know change is scary, but that doesn’t mean you get to take it out on me.”

Eugene blanched slightly, unable to come up with a response. Pascal sighed. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to get my poncho, because it is freezing in here. We’ll talk later, okay?”

Eugene watched him leave, cursing himself. 

He gasped, whirling around, seeing Lance was no longer at the refreshments table. 

“Oh, Rapunzel’s not gonna like that.” He muttered.

*** *** ***

Rapunzel paused at the top of the steps, and caught sight of Varian leaning over the balcony, observing the party-goers. There was a shadow behind him, and Rapunzel saw Cassandra's hand reach out-

“VARIAN, LOOK OUT!” Rapunzel raced forward, and Varian jumped, pitching forward-

Cassandra grabbed the back of his shirt and yanked him back. He smiled. “Whew, thanks Cassie.”

Don’t call me-” Cassandra started, but Varian caught sight of Rapunzel.

“Oh, hi Rapunzel! Did you meet my new lab assistant? She brought me snacks!” Varian said. Ruddiger chittered on the ground, gnawing on something. 

“He stole my food and then asked me to spy on people with him,” Cassandra chuckled. “How could I refuse?”

Rapunzel scowled, grabbing Varian’s hand and dragging him away. “Varian, she’s from the Horde!” She said to him.

Varian blinked.

“The people the Rebellion are fighting?” Rapunzel said.

Ruddiger sneezed.

“The Rebellion you’re a part of?!” Rapunzel hissed.

“Oh!” Varian nodded. “Well in that case, we should keep a better eye on her because she just walked away.”

“What-” Rapunzel whirled around, and saw that Varian was right. Cassandra was nowhere to be seen.

She groaned loudly.

*** *** ***

Pascal shivered, hoping he could still find where he had dumped his poncho in this maze of a castle. It didn’t seem likely, though. He had never had a great sense of direction.

He paused, seeing the Horde prince from earlier-Lance, if he remembered correctly-putting something on one of the ice pillars, out of sight from the main ballroom. Pascal paused, waiting until Lance left to rush up and investigate.

It was a tiny red sphere, and for a second Pascal thought it must have been nothing until he saw steam rising from it. “Oh no-”

He stumbled back, catching sight of two guards and then rushing towards them. “Prince Lance is planting heat bombs!” He shouted. “We have to stop them!”

The guards didn’t move, and Pascal was about to yell at them again when he heard footsteps behind him. He whirled around, seeing Lance grinning at him, holding the Sun Flower. 

The guards grabbed Pascal, and he yelped, thrashing. “What are you doing?!” He said, realizing as he said it that he hadn’t seen these guards anywhere until now. “No, stop-”

Lance lunged at Pascal, fist clenched-

And then everything went black.

*** *** ***

Rapunzel caught sight of Cassandra just as the lights went dim in the ballroom, one spotlight focusing on Keira and Catalina at their thrones. 

“It is our solemn duty to announce that it is time for the first dance of the ball.” Keira said, as if she was announcing an execution.

The crowd chattered excitedly, rushing to the dance floor, and Rapunzel was caught up in it, stumbling forward. She straightened up, the multicolored lights flickering across the ballroom as though each one was a living being, excited to explore the space.

Cassandra stood in front of her, her arm outstretched, cheeky grin on her face.

Rapunzel scowled in return, but what could she do? Yell at her?

She took her hand.

“You know,” Cassandra said as the two spun in surprising harmony. “I don’t know about you, but I’m having a blast.”

“Whatever it is you're planning, it won’t work.” Rapunzel said. 

“You sure?” Cassandra laughed, spinning away from her and to another partner.

Rapunzel stepped back, bumping into Eugene. “Where’ve you been?!” She whispered.

“I got in a fight with Pascal!” Eugene said. “I lost Lance!”

“What?! But-” The music signalled another partner change, and this time Fidella looked at Rapunzel, freckles screwed up in concern.

“Have you seen Pascal?” She asked. “He went to get his poncho, but that was a while ago. Right about the same time the Horde Prince left.”

“Wait, do you mean Lance-” Another partner change, and she managed to catch Eugene. “When was the last time you saw Pascal?!” She asked. 

“A while ago, isn’t he with Fidella?” Eugene asked.

“No! Fidella says he’s been gone this entire time!” Rapunzel said. 

There was yet another change, and this time Rapunzel found herself with Cassandra leaning against her, looking far too pleased. “Maybe my plan won’t work,” She admitted with a sigh. “But then again…”

She grabbed Rapunzel’s hand, spinning her around and dipping her before she could even process what was happening.

Cassandra smiled, her face inches from Rapunzel’s. “Maybe it already has.” She said.

Rapunzel scowled, and Cassandra chuckled, spinning her. “Say, where’s your friend Pascal?”

Rapunzel felt something snap inside her, and with a furious yell, she lunged at Cassandra, who looked surprised to see her attack. Rapunzel tackled her, and Cassandra knocked over a large ice sculpture. It shattered on contact with the ground.

The crowd gasped, but Rapunzel didn’t care. “What did you do with him?!” She demanded.

Cassandra recovered quickly from her surprise. “Nothing permanent.”

“Tell me what you did with him right-” She stumbled back as a spike of ice suddenly shot up between her and Cassandra. Cassandra laughed as more ice surrounded Rapunzel, trapping her.

Keira and Catalina glared at Rapunzel furiously. “Revered hostesses, she’s got-” Rapunzel started, but Keira wasn’t in a listening mood.

“The Royal Ball is a symbol of unity,” Keira said. “Violence is strictly forbidden!”

“You don’t understand!” Rapunzel protested.

“We understand perfectly!” Keira snapped. “As the hostesses, in accordance with the rules set down over the centuries, we hereby revoke your invitation! You are to leave our kingdom, and never ever-”

The castle rumbled, and the ballroom descended into chaos so quickly it made Rapunzel’s head spin. 

Explosions went off along the pillars of ice, raining down shards onto the crowd, who scattered in a panic. Keira scowled, trying to gain the crowd’s attention. “Remain calm!” She shouted, but no one heeded her. 

“Eugene!” Rapunzel waved, catching sight of him. “Cassandra has Pascal, you need to find him!”

Eugene set his jaw and nodded. He disappeared in a flash of light. 

A shadow fell over Rapunzel, and she glared up to see Cassandra leaning on her ice prison, looking at her nails. “Cassandra,” Rapunzel growled. “What did you do?”

“Nothing!” Cassandra chuckled. “Lance, Adira, and Kyle on the other hand were very busy. It was fun distracting you, though.”

“This isn’t a game!” Rapunzel said. “People are gonna get hurt!”

Cassandra’s face turned stony. “It’s never been a game to me. I’m after something bigger, and no one-least of all you-is going to stop me!”

An ice pillar tilted, falling down onto Rapunzel’s ice prison just as Cassandra took off running. Rapunzel yelped, but luck for once smiled on her. Instead of crushing her, the pillar merely cracked the ice, releasing her. Rapunzel took off after Cassandra, racing against the falling castle.

*** *** ***

“Pascal?!” Eugene appeared outside the castle, barely dodging the falling ice chunks. “Pascal! Where are you-”

He froze when he saw two guards dragging a limp Pascal to a Horde airship. Except of course they couldn’t be guards. _Spies,_ He realized grimly. 

“Get away from him!” He teleported over top of the guard with white hair, sending a harsh kick into her chest. She fell with a yelp, and Eugene threw a flash of blinding light at the other guard, who back with a shrill squeal. 

“Pas-” Eugene didn’t finish his sentence, because something heavy hit the back of his head, and the world went dark.

*** *** ***

Rapunzel burst onto the palace roof, the freezing wind stinging her cheeks. Cassandra looked back, still smiling when she saw Rapunzel. 

Rapunzel lunged at her, and Cassandra merely moved aside, hands in her pockets like she couldn’t be bothered to fight back. This only infuriated Rapunzel, and her failed attacks grew more and more wild. 

Rapunzel shouted, trying to punch Cassandra. Cassandra ducked, and then finally attacked back, shoving her elbow out to Rapunzel’s throat.

Rapunzel jerked out of the way, and Cassandra blinked, clearly having expected Rapunzel to block it instead. Her momentum carried her forward to the edge of the roof, and she started to go over, still looking only vaguely surprised-

And the fury disappeared from Rapunzel with a flash, and she reached out and grabbed Cassandra’s hand.

Everything was still except for the wind, Cassandra still hanging halfway off the rooftop, the two of them gripping each other tightly.

The castle rumbled, ruining the moment, and Rapunzel lost her footing. The two fell over the side with a shout. 

Rapunzel heard Cassandra scream, and it spurred her to action. She grabbed the long golden hairpin from her hair (not without guilt, Eugene had spent so much time on it-) and drove it hard into the ice wall of the palace. She stopped falling with a jerk, and Cassandra fell past her, still shrieking-

Rapunzel reached out once more, grabbing her hand.

The wind howled again, and Rapunzel shivered, not entirely from the cold.

“Hang on!” She shouted. “I can get us out of this!”

“Oh, Rapunzel,” Cassandra said softly. “I don’t want you to.”

Cassandra’s grip went loose, and Rapunzel gasped as her friend fell silently into the clouds below. “Cass!” She shrieked, feeling horror rise in her.

There was silence, and Rapunzel squinted, half expecting to see Cassandra’s broken form on the ground.

Instead, a Horde ship rose out of the mist, pausing to gloat at her. Lance was piloting it, and Adira and Kyle glared at Rapunzel with distinct disgust. She realized with a start that Lance had the flower, and Cassandra merely smiled, leaning over the unconscious forms of-

“Pascal! Eugene!” Rapunzel shouted, but there was nothing she could do but hang uselessly from the ice castle.

Cassandra laughed, a high, mocking noise that made Rapunzel nauseous. “See you later, princess.”

The airship flew away, and Rapunzel was left with nothing to keep her company except the accusatory wails of the freezing wind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> when i tell you i would risk it all for cassandra in catra's princess prom suit i mean i would drink bleach with no hesitation just for her to look at me


	9. The Rescue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is the second meanest chapter in the book so have fun ig

Cassandra laughed, turning the flower over in her hands. “Look at this!” She scoffed. “You gotta admit, Gothel, in a single mission, I inflicted more damage on the Rebellion than anyone else. I succeeded even where you failed.”

Gothel ignored her, focused on the Black Garnet, funneling the energy into herself. She let out a breath when her gray hair faded.

The screens buzzed, and Gothel turned. “Lord Hector.”

Hector nodded. “I commend you for the capture of the Prince of Corona,” He said, and Cassandra’s stomach dropped. “Queen Angella has been given until the sunrise to surrender herself to our forces.”

“Thank you, Lord Hector. I thought you would be pleased with my work.” Gothel said.

“You have proven yourself useful to me. Today.” Hector said, and the screen buzzed out.

“You…” Cassandra said in a low voice. “You didn’t. You didn’t bring the prince back. I did. You...you took credit from me?!”

“You are under my command, Force Captain,” Gothel said, but Cassandra could hear the glee in her voice. “Anything you do is credited to me.”

“How...how could you?!” Cassandra said, clutching the flower tightly. “I did everything you needed and more, I deserve the credit, you didn’t do anything! You’ve been too busy fretting about your precious traitor Rapunzel to even _look_ at me, and when I succeed in spite of you, you steal my glory! How dare you?!”

Gothel’s head snapped to Cassandra, and the latter stepped back. “How dare I?” Gothel asked, voice low. “I’ve tolerated your attitude this far because of your results. Do not think, for even one second, that I won’t put you in the same position as him if you continue this pattern of disrespect.” She pointed to the prisoner in the corner.

Cassandra felt sick, and she saw in Gothel’s eyes that she meant what she said. Gothel snatched the flower away. “Now get out of my sight.”

Cassandra hated the way she stumbled on her way out.

Eugene groaned, feeling oddly feverish. His arms ached, suspended by something. He tried to move, and winced when it seemed to sting his whole body, as though he were surrounded by needles. What was going on?

“Mom?” He asked blearily, opening his eyes. And then he remembered exactly what had happened. 

A tall woman stood in front of him, and she smiled. “Welcome to the Fright Zone, Your Highness.”

Shadows danced, and Eugene felt very, very afraid.

*** *** ***

Rapunzel’s paint brush hung over a blank page in her journal, useless.

The palace was so quiet, and she hated it.

Pascal didn’t speed walk next to her, chattering away eagerly at his next idea or little trick arrow he had invented. Eugene didn’t pop in and out, trying to scare her, laughing when she jumped. The two didn’t banter and tease with her now, making her smile and laugh.

All her life she had grown up around noise. Rarely was there a quiet moment, and when she had one to herself, she would draw in her journal, documenting her experiences to look back on and marvel at later. But the quiet was stifling now.

She didn’t want to document what had happened now, anyway.

_If you had been a little faster, a little stronger, not let Cassandra distract you, Eugene and Pascal would be here. Who knows what they’re doing to them now?_

Rapunzel shivered at the possibilities. A glob of red paint fell onto the page, and it looked like a bloodstain.

She slammed the journal shut, biting her lip so as not to cry.

She found Angella in the war room, the grand queen looking very, very small, her head in her hands. “Your Majesty?” She asked quietly.

Angella didn’t look up. “I should have never let him leave this castle.” She sighed, and her voice sounded ragged. Had she been crying? “And now, I am faced with an impossible decision. As a leader of the Rebellion, how can I surrender myself to the enemy? But as a mother, how do I-” 

Her voice cracked, and Angella paused, struggling to control her emotions. Rapunzel wondered if she had the same awful scenarios running through her head about what could be happening to Eugene and Pascal. She probably did, and Rapunzel hoped the queen wouldn’t ask her about it.

“I’m going to accept Hector’s terms,” Angella said. “Eugene is all I have.”

“Your Majesty,” Rapunzel said, frankly surprised with Angella’s decision, and then hating herself for thinking so little of the queen. “There’s no guarantee the Horde will keep their word. We could end up losing you too.”

“And there is a guarantee that I will never see my son again if I do not accept this bargain,” Angella said. “A rescue attempt is too risky. If we had the Sundrop, we could stand a chance, but…”

Rapunzel pushed down her stinging guilt, feeling the lack of the magic flower more than ever. “We can’t just give up. There has to be another way.”

She stepped forward. “I can rescue them. I know the Fright Zone. I’ll find a way to get them back.”

Angella looked Rapunzel in the eyes. “And how are you going to do that?”

“I…” Rapunzel felt herself crumple. “I don’t know that yet. B-but I’ll think of something, I promise! I’ll bring them home.”

Angella didn’t say anything, which was someone worse. Rapunzel gave a stiff bow, and left, only allowing tears to run down her face when she was sure Angella could not see her.

_This is all your fault._

Flowers rained down, and Rapunzel blinked, turning the corner to see Fidella, Stalyan, Sea Hawk and Varian looking at her expectantly. 

“What-” Rapunzel wiped her tears quickly. “What are you all doing here?”

“We’re the Royal Alliance,” Stalyan said. “And the Horde took one of our own. Even if I can’t stand Eugene, I’m not going to let him rot in some cell.”

“We’re ready for our first mission,” Fidella said. “Let’s go get our friends back!”

Ruddiger chittered a war cry from Varian’s shoulders, and for the first time since seeing Eugene and Pascal dragged away, Rapunzel smiled. 

*** *** ***

Pascal scowled when the laser wall dimmed, seeing a blonde soldier holding a tray of food.

He felt sick and exhausted, and was covered in bruises, but none of that mattered. What mattered was that he didn’t know where Eugene was, or if he was even alive. 

“Dinner rations, prisoner!” The blonde soldier said. The laser wall opened up slightly, and he stuck the tray through.

Pascal didn’t move, and a few seconds later, the opening closed. The soldier yelped, dropping the tray and jerking back. “Hey,” Pascal said. “What’s your name?”

“Me?” The soldier looked surprised. “You’re talking to me?”

“Sure,” Pascal said. “Is that alright?”

“I guess…” The soldier said. “But no one really talks to me. I’m Kyle.”

“Hey, Kyle. I’m Pascal. Can I ask a favor?” Pascal asked, perking up slightly. “Can you tell me where they’re holding the prince?”

“Prince?” Kyle asked.

“He’s my best friend,” Pascal said, feeling fear weigh him down again. “No one will let me talk to him or even tell me if he’s okay. I just...is he alright? Is he alive?”

“Ah, I’m sure he’s fine,” Kyle said, and then paused. “I mean...maybe? I don’t know.”

“Do you know where he is?” Pascal asked.

“That kind of information is classified.” Kyle said. He frowned. “They wouldn’t tell me.”

“Help me get a message to him.” Pascal said.

“Uh…” Kyle backed up. “I...should be leaving now.”

“No, wait!” Pascal said, feeling panicked. “Kyle! Just tell me if he’s alive! Please!”

Kyle was at the platform, and it started going up. He looked back, unsure. “He’s alive!” He shouted back, and Pascal stumbled away from the laser wall, weak with relief.

_He’s alive._

*** *** ***

“Okay,” Rapunzel said, motioning to the diorama she had constructed. “This is the prison Eugene and Pascal are being kept in.”

“Varian, this perfume bottle is you. Fidella, you’re the nail polish. Stalyan, lipstick-” Rapunzel said, setting out the items, but Stalyan scowled.

“Ew, do you know what this stuff is made of?” Stalyan asked, and reached off behind her. “I’ll be this knife.” She set the knife down.

“What’s Ruddiger’s?” Varian asked.

“I think I’d rather be the flower.” Fidella said, summoning a blossom.

“Ooh, I’ll be this miniature painted model of Pascal!” Sea Hawk said, holding up a tiny green figurine. 

“No,” Rapunzel said, grabbing the figurine and pulling out two others, one of herself and one of Eugene. “These are for us.”

“Did you make those?” Fidella asked.

“Focus,” Rapunzel said, face going slightly red. “Our entry point will be near the Horde’s scrapyard. It’s close to the prison and lightly guarded. Fidella and Varian will access the security tower and wait for my signal to disable the lights.”

Varian and Fidella smiled at each other, and Ruddiger sneezed. “Stalyan will access the Fright Zone’s sewers, swim through the pipes and access the doors-”

“I’m sorry, Stalyan will what?” Stalyan asked, face pinched.

Rapunzel winced. “I know it sounds bad-but you’re the only one who can breathe underwater.”

Stalyan scowled, and for an awful moment Rapunzel thought she was going to leave. But she merely groaned loudly. “Fine!”

“Sea Hawk and I will take up position by the entrance,” Rapunzel finished. “The two of us will neutralize any guards on patrol, and Varian and Fidella will regroup on our position. The team will enter when Stalyan opens the door.” 

“Excellent plan!” Sea Hawk said. “Adventure!”

*** *** ***

The plan was going surprisingly well thus far, and it was making Rapunzel nervous. “Stalyan should be in place by now.” She whispered to Sea Hawk, still guilty for sending the mermaid princess to the sewers.

She drew a miniature mirror out of her pocket, flashing it to signal Varian and Fidella.

“There it is!” Fidella told Varian. “Are you ready?” 

“Fright Zone log, day one,” Varian said into the tape recorder. “I can barely contain my excitement!”

He tore off the metal cover, examining the machinery inside the watch tower controls. “Hm, the Horde uses an outdated form of wiring. I could make it so much more efficient if I just-”

“Varian?” Fidella said. “Now would be a good time for those lights.”

“Oh, right.” Varian frowned. He yanked out a wire, and an alarm blared.

The soldiers at the door jumped to attention. “We go on three,” Rapunzel said. “One-”

“Forward!” Sea Hawk cried, jumping out.

The soldiers paused, and Rapunzel sighed, leaping out and incapacitating the two of them easily. “I said three!” She said.

“I got excited.” Sea Hawk said sheepishly.

Rapunzel sighed, rushing to the metal door and knocking on it twice. Nothing happened. She scowled, and knocked again.

“Where’s Stalyan?” Sea Hawk asked.

“She must’ve gotten held up,” Rapunzel said. “Come on, we need to secure the guards.”

*** *** ***

Fidella slid down her vine ladder, glancing up for Varian and Ruddiger to follow. They were nowhere to be seen.

“Varian?” She whispered. “Varian!” 

She felt irritation rise in her, and forced herself to take a deep breath. Snappy was not positive, and it really wouldn’t help her anyway. 

There was beeping by her, and she followed it, seeing Varian leaning over a tiny robot gathering screwed. “Subject appears to be harvesting scrap components, possibly for reuse,” Varian said into his tape recorder, looking at the machine with fascination. “Amazing!”

“Varian!” Fidella said. “We’re supposed to meet the others.”

“I know, I was waiting for you,” Varian said. “Come here, Ruddiger!” The raccoon skittered up on Varian’s shoulder again, gnawing on a large bolt.

“How very considerate,” Fidella said, fighting to keep her voice light. “Let’s go.”

Varian started to follow her, but when the robot started to scuttle away, he changed his direction to run after it. He jerked to a stop when a sudden rope of vines wrapped around his waist, he frowned, looking up at Fidella.

Fidella’s smile was only a little tight. “So we don’t get separated.” She explained.

Varian frowned as she dragged him away, watching the robot disappear into the gloom.

*** *** ***

Rapunzel froze when she heard a skiff coming towards them. Sea Hawk was staring at the door, exposed. “Psst!” She hissed, and Sea Hawk turned, seeing first her, and then the approaching skiff. His eyes widened, but it was too late.

“Halt!” The driver said, and Rapunzel saw Lance get off, looking at Sea Hawk suspiciously. “Who are you?”

“M-me?” Sea Hawk coughed. “W-why, I’m the inspector! I’m here to inspect...all the things.” He smiled winningly.

“Inspector?” Lance asked.

Sea Hawk, to his credit, didn’t break face, though Rapunzel could only imagine what was going through his mind right now. She tensed, wondering if she and Sea Hawk could take on Lance together if it came to it. Maybe, but Lance would definitely alert the rest of the Fright Zone, and then it would be over.

“Inspector!” Lance smiled. “Oh, of course. I must’ve forgotten you were coming. We’re long overdue for an inspection, I have to admit it, but I can assure you we are up to code!”

He slung his arm around Sea Hawk good-naturedly, leading him to the skiff. Sea Hawk looked at Rapunzel, panicked. Rapunzel merely gestured vaguely. 

Lance helped Sea Hawk onto the skiff, and the two zoomed away.

“Oh no...” Rapunzel said. “How...how did this happen?! We had a plan!”

“Actually,” Rapunzel whirled around to see Fidella and Varian. “You kinda lost me at the perfume bottle.” Varian admitted, wrapped in vines and being dragged by Fidella, for some reason.

“Where have you two been?!” Rapunzel asked. “And where’s Ruddiger?!”

“Oh, he’ll show up eventually.” Varian assured her. This only made Rapunzel more anxious.

“I tried to get here sooner, but harmonious teamwork with Varian can be…” Fidella paused. “A challenge.”

Varian nodded in agreement. 

“This isn’t a game!” Rapunzel said. “It’s the Horde, and we already have a loose raccoon running around doing who knows what-”

“I can’t-!” Fidella took a breath. “It’s quite difficult to keep track of Varian and Ruddiger, Rapunzel.” Her voice was strained.

“Eugene and Pascal are being held captive in this building and now Sea Hawk is gone!” Rapunzel said. 

“Okay,” Fidella said. “Okay, alright, everyone calm down. Maybe we can try a simple breathing exercise!” 

The alarms on the door suddenly went off, and Rapunzel tensed. “We’re going in.” She said, rushing to the door.

The door slowly opened-

Rapunzel smelled it before she saw it. Stalyan stood, sulking, covered in dark water and debris. “Could you not?” She said.

“Oh…” Rapunzel stepped back, trying not to gag at the smell. “What happened to you?!”

“Uh, the sewer happened to me. You know, the one you sent me down?! Ring a bell?!” She huffed, picking a stick out of her hair. “I don’t think I like Eugene enough for this.”

“We can’t waste anymore time,” Rapunzel said. “Eugene and Pascal need us.”

“Can I get a thank you?” Stalyan asked.

“Thank you.” Rapunzel said tightly, grabbing her arm and yanking her after them.

*** *** ***

“Hey, where’s the goggles kid?” Stalyan asked, glancing around. Varian was no longer beside them.

Fidella gritted her teeth. “Okay, he is really putting a crimp in my harmony!”

“Don’t worry,” Rapunzel said, mostly to herself. “We’ll find him. And Sea Hawk. And Ruddiger. And rescue Eugene and Pascal.”

Stalyan frowned. “That seems like a lot.”

Rapunzel glared.

“But you know me,” Stalyan said. “Totally up for anything.”

*** *** ***

“Day one in the Fright Zone log, continued,” Varian said into the tape recorder, tapping rapidly on a keyboard, eyes darting over the lines of code that dashed across the screen. “Keypads appear in every corridor and are capable of giving status updates of multiple systems. Oh, there you are Ruddiger!” Varian smiled when he saw the raccoon poked his head cautiously out of a vent. “I knew you wouldn’t go far!”

Ruddiger sneezed, leaping out of the vent, starting to wander down the hall. “Hey, wait up!” He rushed after the raccoon, coming to a sudden stop when Ruddiger suddenly whirled around, squealing in fear.

A spherical robot rounded the corner, a single red eye staring at Varian with something that could almost be called surprise. 

Varian merely smiled. “Wow…”

*** *** ***

Eugene flexed his fingers, somewhat relieved to find they weren’t paralyzed, although they felt oddly numb and tingly. That probably wasn’t a great sign.

He snapped, watching with disappointment when the best he could produce was a tiny spark of light. He sighed, disappointed.

And then he realized he had made a very grave mistake.

Pain suddenly rippled through his entire body as though he was being stabbed by thousands of red-hot needles, all at once. He shouted before he could stop himself, trying to jerk away, but whatever strange red force field he was imprisoned in kept him from doing so.

The pain was gone just as quickly, and he felt nauseous, panting slightly.

“I should warn you, Your Majesty,” Gothel said, and Eugene got the distinct impression that she was enjoying this. “Any attempt to teleport through these restraints will only cause you pain.”

 _Yeah, I got that,_ Eugene wanted to quip, but all he managed was a strangled whimper.

“It seems my Black Garnet and your powers don’t mix,” The witch shrugged. “Besides, your mother will be here soon.”

Eugene swallowed hard and glared at her. “I know all about you and your mind games, Gothel,” He growled. “Rapunzel told me, so save it. And by the way, she sends her regards.”

Gothel chuckled. “Oh, I’m not playing games. What I said about Queen Angella is true. She’s coming to surrender herself in exchange for your safety.”

“You’re lying,” Eugene snapped. “She...she’s smarter than that!”

“Oh…” Gothel said, face sympathetic. It made Eugene sick, though that was also in part to the force field. “It’s a shame the Rebellion has taken such a toll on your family. First you lose your father, and now…”

“Shut it,” Eugene snapped. “The Sundrop will stop you.”

“There is no Sundrop!” Gothel said. She raised her hand, and a glowing flower suddenly appeared. Eugene’s heart skipped a beat, and then sank down, down, and down.

“We have the flower, not Rapunzel,” Gothel said, and the flower cast an awful shadow on her face. “There will be no one left to stop the Horde. In a few hours, Corona will fall and Etheria will be ours to rule.”

Eugene concentrated, trying desperately to teleport out. Pain shot through him, a million times worse, and he _screamed_ but it didn’t matter, he had to get out-

He felt himself...what would be the right word? Come undone, perhaps. Teleporting was like taking a step at this point, really, there wasn’t an in-between. But now there was. He felt himself swirl inside of the force field, nothing but a ball of pain and fear, uselessly trying to escape. It was like he was trying to hold sand in his hand, and if he moved too much, bits and pieces would leak out and become lost. Or he might just dissolve altogether.

And that scared him so much more than the pain, and he stopped, feeling himself become whole again in a process that was almost as awful as becoming undone. Eugene gasped, sure he would have collapsed if the force field didn’t force him up.

Gothel tsked, as though he had fallen and scraped his knees as opposed to nearly becoming nothingness. “Careful, now,” She said softly. “It would be a shame if we had no prince to exchange for the queen.”

Eugene closed his eyes, his head spinning.

_Mom, please don’t come._

*** *** ***

“Well,” Sea Hawk said jovially, even though he was internally freaking out. “You Horde types run a tight ship, I must say!”

He walked up to a random pipe, rapping on it with his knuckles. “Everything seems to be up to code!” The pipe fell apart, and Sea Hawk blinked, shoving it back into place sideways. “Yes, indeed, entirely up to code! You pass with flying colors!”

He coughed, turning back to Lance. “Now, unless you have something else for me to inspect, I should be getting home...to...my inspector children.”

“You know, you looked familiar.” Lance said.

Sea Hawk blinked several times, and then smiled suavely, feeling sweat drip down his forehead. “Perhaps you’ve seen me...in your dreams?”

_Stalyan, my darling, forgive me!_

“No, that’s not it.” Lance said, utterly unaffected. Sea Hawk frowned, his ego bruised in spite of the situation.

“The Royal Ball!” Lance snapped his fingers. “That’s where I know you from, I knew it would come to me. You were there with that mermaid.”

“She has a name!” Sea Hawk shouted, and then coughed. “I mean, no, that wasn’t me-”

“You’re with the Rebellion.” Lance said, his brow furrowing.

Sea Hawk felt slightly sick. “Now, as a scrupulous inspector, threats, uh, normally wouldn’t work on me. But in this case, er, perhaps we can reach a compromise?”

A screen lit up behind him, and Sea Hawk blinked. “‘Duck’?” He read aloud.

“Duck?!” Lance asked. “Where?”

Sea Hawk saw a large metal claw drop down. “Oh, duck!” He flung himself out of the way just in time before the claw hit Lance, sending him flying backwards with a shout of surprise. 

“Hi!” Varian waved down at Sea Hawk, raccoon on his shoulder, seated on a robot. Sea Hawk decided that he wasn’t going to question it. 

“Whew!” He said as the robot scuttled down to him. “That was a top notch rescue, kid.”

“To be honest I wasn’t sure which one of you I was gonna hit.” Varian said.

*** *** ***

“Okay,” Rapunzel said, typing into a keypad. “I found Pascal’s cell, but I can’t find Eugene anywhere. They must be holding him somewhere else. This isn’t good.”

A door slid open, and the three women jumped when a robot came out, pausing when it saw them.

“What should we do?!” Fidella asked.

“I’m not going back in the sewer.” Stalyan said quickly. 

Rapunzel reached for her long-unused bow staff-

“It’s okay!” Varian poked his head out, grinning. “It’s my new friend Emily! I reprogrammed her! Also, I found Sea Hawk.” He grabbed Sea Hawk, dragging him out.

“Hello, my lovely angelfish,” Sea Hawk said. “Your aroma is...fascinating.”

“Ugh.” Stalyan said in response.

“Where have you been?!” Fidella asked. 

“Where’ve you been?” Varian asked.

“It doesn’t matter,” Rapunzel said. “We’re all together. Let’s finish this.”

*** *** ***

Rapunzel took the weapons off the incapacitated guards, nodding when Fidella tied them up tightly with ivy. “Pascal’s cell is in section B, level twenty,” She said, glancing at Varian. “We’ll get him out first, and then find out where Eugene is. Varian, can you get us there?”

“Look at all these buttons…” Varian said in awe.

Ruddiger chirped, and it seemed to snap Varian back to the present. “Yes, I can! Probably. Maybe? Don’t know, but I’m definitely gonna try!”

“Okay,” Rapunzel said. “Sea Hawk, Fidella, you’re with me.”

“I’ll keep an eye on this one,” Stalyan nodded at Varian. “In case he tries to befriend any more robots.”

Sea Hawk punched the air. “Onto the rescue!”

*** *** ***

Pascal kicked the laser wall furiously, ignoring the harsh jolts it sent up his limbs. It was no use; whatever the Horde did for laser security, it was strong stuff.

“Pascal, Pascal!” Pascal paused, seeing the blonde kid from before running towards him.

“Kyle?!” He asked, watching in shock as Kyle tripped and nearly got a faceful of laser. 

“I’m supposed to be in the barracks,” Kyle said. “Adira made me cover her latrine duty.” He frowned.

“What’s going on?” Pascal asked.

“I found out where your friend is being kept,” Kyle said. “Gothel has him in the Black Garnet chamber.”

“That sounds...really bad.” Pascal said weakly.

“Uh,” Kyle rubbed his arm. “Yeah, it’s pretty bad. But, he’s alive! Right? They don’t plan on killing him. Not yet, at least, but I guess I could be wrong...Gothel’s planning to ransom him in exchange for the Queen.”

“Why are you telling me this?” Pascal asked.

Kyle sighed. “I...I don’t know. I guess...you’re the first person that’s ever listened to me.”

“I…” Pascal blinked. “Kyle, I’m being held against my will.”

*** *** ***

Rapunzel stepped onto the prison platform, giving Varian a thumbs up. He nodded in response, yanking on a lever. 

The platform shot up so fast Rapunzel stumbled, and Sea Hawk let out a high pitched shriek of surprise. Rapunzel glanced up, and saw a familiar face staring at her in shock. Adira stepped back, slack jawed. 

The platform stopped suddenly, and Adira’s expression changed to a scowl. She leapt onto the platform, yanking out a wicked looking electric baton. “Varian!” Rapunzel shouted. 

The platform immediately shot up again, and Fidella stumbled, falling off. “Fidella!” Sea Hawk shouted, lunging for her, but he missed.

He looked down mournfully, probably about to start a funeral shanty, but vines wrapped around his wrists. Fidella held on-just barely-eyes wide and fearful. 

Adira lunged at Rapunzel, and she just barely managed to block her baton. “You think you can just come back here?!” Adira demanded, furious. 

“I need to save my friends.” Rapunzel said.

“We were your friends!” Adira snapped. 

Sea Hawk managed to pull Fidella back up, and the platform paused, hanging suspended in the air. Everyone paused, tense and unsure.

And then the platform started to freefall.

Rapunzel shrieked in alarm, catching sight of Rogelio fighting for the controls with Stalyan and Varain. Ruddiger was doing his part, latched onto the reptilian’s head tightly, but it made little difference. 

Adira rose, raising the baton, and Fidella shouted in warning. The plant princess stretched her arms out, and vines suddenly knocked Adira off of the platform roughly. 

“Are you alright?” Fidella asked.

“Yeah,” Rapunzel said, slightly shaken. “Thanks.”

“Nice shot.” Sea Hawk said.

Fidella opened her mouth to reply, but two armored Horde soldiers suddenly leapt onto the platform. 

Their baton buzzed, and Rapunzel clenched her fists.

*** *** ***

“No one’s ever asked for my help before!” Kyle confessed tearfully. “People don’t think I can do anything right.”

“That’s tough.” Pascal said, bored and slightly irritated.

Something caught his eye, and he jolted up, shocked to see several princesses and Sea Hawk fighting Horde soldiers on a prison platform that was zooming downwards. He blinked.

“Why am I telling you this?!” Kyle said, evidently not having noticed. “I shouldn’t even be here. I’m gonna get in so much trouble if I get caught.” He paused, hearing the whirring of the platform, and started to turn-

“Wait!” Pascal said, and Kyle refocused on him. “I, um...we’re just talking. How much trouble could you get in for talking?”

“Oh, you’d be surprised,” Kyle said. “I get in trouble for just about everything around here.”

Pascal saw the platform rise up again, right behind Kyle. Rapunzel, Fidella, and Sea Hawk were fighting two other soldiers. “Um, that doesn’t seem fair.” Pascal said, trying not to stare at them.

“I know!” Kyle said. “But then I thought about how brave you were for wanting to save your friend.” 

With surprising violence, Fidella threw the soldiers off the platform. Adira rose up from another platform, leaping down on Rapunzel with fury. 

“And I thought maybe if I helped you, I could be your friend too.” Kyle said hopefully. 

“Yeah, definitely friends.” Pascal said, eyes darting between Kyle and the fight. Rapunzel pushed Adira off, and the platforms continued to move erratically. “We can be friends.” Pascal said.

*** *** ***

Stalyan caught sight of a pipe, and focused on it, smiling to herself when she could sense the rushing water inside. 

Varian yelped, tossed across the room by the lizard man, and Stalyan took control of the water, offering it freedom. The water accepted gratefully, and a harsh plume sprayed out. The lizard man stumbled, but held his ground. 

Varian withdrew something from his apron pocket-some kind of bright orange ball. He threw it at the lizard, and it exploded into foul smelling smoke. The lizard stumbled with a roar, and Stalyan pushed him out the window.

Varian grinned, rushing back to the keyboard. “Good team, goggles.” Stalyan said, and Varian paused to high five her.

“Team Awesome!” He declared.

“We’re not calling it that.”

*** *** ***

The platform lowered, and Pascal grinned when he saw the trio from before standing there. Kyle blinked in surprise, but was too slow to react before Sea Hawk grabbed him, tossing him onto another wayward platform with a yelp.

“We’re here to rescue you!” Sea Hawk said. He punched the keypad, only wincing slightly, and the laser wall disappeared.

Rapunzel tackled Pascal in a hug. “Oh my-Pascal! Are you alright?!”

“I’m fine!” Pascal said, shaky with relief.

“Where’s Eugene?” Rapunzel asked.

“Gothel has him in the Black Garnet chamber.” Pascal said.

Part of him hoped Rapunzel would shrug, say _no biggie_ , and then they could finish off the rescue with success. Instead, her face into one of acute fear and anxiety.

“What are we gonna do?” Pascal asked quietly.

Alarms suddenly went off, and the room flashed red. Rapunzel’s awful expression turned to one of grim determination. “Come on!”

*** *** ***

Varian rushed to the locked door, pushing his goggles down to inspect the code. He dug through his pockets, picking out tools. “Ruddiger, go find a way out through the vents. See if you can find another exit.” Varian said, and Ruddiger chirped, leaping up to an air duct and scuttling away.

“Can you get it open?” Rapunzel asked.

“I just need a little more time.” Varian said.

The shouts of soldiers echoed down the halls, and the lights still flashed the warning red, lighting the halls up in a ghastly crimson glow. 

Varian laughed, and the door opened. “This system leads you to where you can find a skiff!” He said victoriously. 

“Every chamber needs to be sealed and purged before you can move on,” Rapunzel said, leading them in. “The doors will only stay open a few seconds, so keep up the pace!”

The next door opened, and the team rushed in immediately, but Pascal skidded to a stop. Rapunzel lagged behind. “Rapunzel, what are you doing…?!” He asked, suddenly afraid for her.

“Don’t worry about me,” Rapunzel said. “I’m gonna buy you some time and find Eugene. Meet you there, okay?”

“Wait, Rapunzel, no-” Pascal leapt for her, but it was too late.

The door closed, and she disappeared. 

Rapunzel sighed, pretending that she didn’t feel like puking. Soldiers rounded the corner, and she put her hands up, keeping her gaze level. 

“I surrender,” She said quietly. “Take me to see Gothel.”

*** *** ***

“Eugene!” Rapunzel shouted when the guards dragged her in. Eugene didn’t respond, his head hung low. She couldn’t see his face.

“Don’t worry, it’ll be alright, I’ll save you!” She told him, though it was mostly for her own benefit.

The guards pushed her down onto some kind of table, and it was only when she was restrained did Rapunzel realize she should have probably struggled more. The table rose so she was facing up, and she caught sight of Cassandra. “What did you do to him?!” She demanded.

Cassandra did not respond.

“Leave us.” Gothel came out from behind the Garnet, her face smiling and youthful The guard nodded and left, and Gothel turned to Cassandra.

“Return to the Force Captain barracks and pack your things,” She told Cassandra. “Now that Rapunzel is back, there’s no need for you there.”

“Seriously?” Cassandra’s expression looked furious. “After everything I’ve done for you, it’s still her you want?!”

“I said go!” Gothel snapped, grabbing Cassandra’s arm and throwing her forward. Cassandra stumbled, but kept her footing, managing to give Rapunzel a look of fury before she left. 

The door closed, and Rapunzel was alone with the witch.

“Gothel,” Rapunzel said softly. “I’ll stay here with you willingly, but you have to let Eugene go first.”

“No!” A weak voice protested, and Rapunzel craned her neck to see Eugene looking at her with a horrified and exhausted expression. “No, Rapunzel, you can’t…!”

Gothel chuckled. “A noble gesture,” She said. “But one in vain. You shall stay here willingly, because I am going to wipe your mind.”

She touched Rapunzel’s cheek gently, and Rapunzel felt revulsion rise in her chest. “You’ll have no memory of the Sundrop, or the time you spent with the Rebellion. Everything will be as it once was, and we can put this whole mess behind us.” Gothel smiled widely. 

Her hands lit up with a red glow, and Rapunzel tried uselessly to lean away. “And as for the prince,” Gothel shot Eugene a disgusted look. “When I’m done, you’ll be happy to have him as a prisoner.”

Gothel smiled, as though Rapunzel had done something endearingly dumb. “Now, try not to thrash.”

*** *** ***

“We need to go back for Eugene and Rapunzel!” Pascal said, keeping pace with the group as they went through chamber after chamber. 

“We need to do what Rapunzel said,” Fidella said. “They’ll make it out, and we’ll be ready with the skiff. No one left behind.”

She smiled, but it looked desperate.

*** *** ***

“Rapunzel!” Eugene shouted, but he doubted either of them could hear him over Rapunzel’s screams of pain.

He flexed his fingers, and gritted his teeth. His mother would kill him if she knew the reckless plan he had in mind, but she wasn’t here, was she?

He closed his eyes, pretending the awful, horrible pain was no longer a concern and tried to teleport. He felt himself swishing around in the force field, and forced himself to stay relatively whole, looking for any kind of exit or weak spot. 

Every cell in his body begged for him to stop, because he was coming apart with complete and utter agony, ripping himself into little pieces from the inside out, and if he didn’t stop there would be nothing left.

He ignored it. Rapunzel needed his help. He had failed enough, now it was time to get something right, even if it cost him a chunk of himself. 

He found a weak spot in the force field, and leapt at the opportunity. 

With a shout of pain and victory, he appeared above Gothel, by some miracle mostly whole. She turned around in shock, but it was too late. He summoned the largest ball of light he could, slamming it directly into her face. She shrieked, fell to the ground, and went still. 

Eugene panted, and then realized that not only was Rapunzel no longer screaming, she was also no longer moving. “Blondie!” He gasped, stumbling to free her from the restraints. Her eyes were closed and her face was pale. “Blondie, do you know who I am?!”

Rapunzel stirred, blinking her eyes open. “...Eugene?” She asked tentatively.

Eugene let out a shaky laugh, and threw his arms around her. “Oh, I thought...is everyone alright?” 

“They’re waiting for us outside.” Rapunzel said, slightly wobbly. Eugene slung his arm around her, although they were honestly supporting each other equally. _The blind leading the blind,_ He thought without much amusement.

“Let’s go.” Rapunzel said.

*** *** ***

“We made it!” Sea Hawk said when the next door opened. “This way, it’s the vehicle bay!”

They rushed out, but suddenly Fidella saw Varian stop in his tracks. “Wait, Emily!” His robot was struggling to fit through the narrow door, and Varian rushed back to help it.

“Varian, no-!” Fidella reached out, and Varian looked back, managing to catch her eye.

His last expression before the door closed and hot green flames poured out was an expression of terror and pleading.

The door did not open again, and the group was dead still, unable to process what had just happened.

Ruddiger scurried up to them, chittering cheerfully.

_Where is my boy? Where is he?_

*** *** ***

The halls were dim, the only real light from the flashing alarms, and Rapunzel and Eugene skidded to a stop when the door in front of them closed. 

“I got it.” Eugene panted, grabbing Rapunzel’s arm clumsily. He flashed-

And then fell to the ground with a badly concealed sound of pain, his body shuddering as an odd red light passed through him like an electric charge. He stiffened, trying not to scream.

“What’s happening?!” Rapunzel helped him back up once the episode passed, her heart hammering.

“I-I dunno,” Eugene said, looking just as scared but trying to hide it. “I can’t teleport.”

There were footsteps, methodical and slow. Rapunzel turned, seeing a figure coming towards them with little hurry, the only real light available the maroon alarms that were making Rapunzel dizzy.

The light concealed Cassandra expression, but Rapunzel could see her mouth set in a tight line. Eugene sighed, a ragged noise. “You go left, I go right?” He said weakly. 

Cassandra stopped, staring Rapunzel dead in the eye. Her expression was entirely empty, but if Rapunzel squinted she could see something akin to sadness behind her eyes.

For a long moment, Cassandra was still, and none of them dared move.

Then Cassandra sighed, holding out her arm to Rapunzel. She had the flower gripped in her hand. “Take it.” She said dully. 

Rapunzel still didn’t move.

“This is not because I like you.” Cassandra said, the first to break eye contact. 

Slowly, Rapunzel reached out and grabbed the flower. Her fingers brushed Cassandra’s, and she expected her to spring out in attack. Instead, Cassandra let go of the flower and stepped back.

Rapunzel looked at the flower, and then back to her former ally. “Cass…”

“Just-!” Cassandra sighed. “Just get out of here.”

Rapunzel was quiet, and then nodded. “Thank you.”

Cassandra didn’t answer.

Rapunzel raised the flower high. “For the honor of Der Sonne!”

*** *** ***

“There they are!” Pascal pointed, fighting to keep his balance on the rocking skiff. 

The Sundrop and Eugene were sprinting towards them, and the Sundrop grinned widely. They were going to make it!

Fidella grabbed the Sundrop’s hand, and Pascal grabbed Eugene’s just managing to drag them into the skiff as Horde soldiers poured out of the building. “Go!” Pascal shouted, and Sea Hawk pushed the lever forward. The skiff lurched forward, zooming away from the Fright Zone.

The Sundrop smiled at the group, ready to celebrate, and then paused.

Fidella’s eyes were red and puffy, and Stalyan stared at the ground as if angry at it for something. Sea Hawk’s jaw was clenched, and Pascal held Ruddiger tightly.

Ruddiger…

“Where’s Varian?” The Sundrop asked.

There was silence, and the Sundrop suddenly didn’t want an answer.

Ruddiger grunted, and Pascal released the raccoon. “Varian...didn’t make it.” He said.

“What...what do you mean?” Eugene asked. 

“He’s gone.” Stalyan snapped, but her usually bored or annoyed voice was wobbly and thick.

“We…” The Sundrop clenched her teeth. “We have to go back for him.”

“No, he’s…” Pascal looked down at Ruddiger. The raccoon cooed softly, as if unwilling to believe it himself. “He’s really gone.”

The Sundrop disappeared, Rapunzel falling to her knees in shock. 

No one spoke a word.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> gothel is literally so much fun to write is that concerning


	10. Left Behind

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is probably my second least favorite chapter but next chapter we get to the gooooood stuff so i guess it balances out right

Other than the hum of the skiff, Ruddiger was the only thing making noise in the dark forest.

The raccoon would scuttle around the skiff, as if thinking that Varian would appear if he just looked hard enough. When his search turned fruitless, he would chatter anxiously, rushing up to each person with the same question.

_Where is my boy? Where? Where is he, he can’t be far…_

And then Ruddiger would repeat the cycle.

“How could I let this happen?” Rapunzel finally said. 

“It’s not your fault.” Pascal said.

“It is my fault!” Rapunzel insisted. “Varian’s gone because of my plan!”

“This only happened because we were all together.” Stalyan said quietly. 

“She’s right,” Fidella said, wiping tears from her face. “Being together makes us vulnerable.”

“Maybe there’s a reason the Royal Alliance fell apart before.” Stalyan said, glancing at Eugene cautiously.

The unsaid parallel sat heavy on everyone’s chest, but Eugene looked shocked. “Stalyan, no, you can’t say that.”

Stalyan looked down. “Whatever,” She said, but she lacked her usual bite. “I...I don’t want to be a part of this anymore. Sea Hawk, take me home.”

Eugene looked around frantically for some kind of support, glancing at Rapunzel with a plea in his expression. Rapunzel didn’t meet his eyes.

Eugene practically wilted, and without a word, Sea Hawk pushed the skiff forward. 

Ruddiger’s mournful cries echoed in the forest. 

*** *** ***

“Eugene!” Angella sprinted from the castle entrance, queenly decorum forgotten, sweeping Eugene up in a tight hug. Eugene winced slightly, and Rapunzel saw the queen’s eyes were red and puffy.

“Are you hurt?!” She asked, cupping Eugene’s face, looking him over for some kind of unnoticed grievous injury other than his scrapes and bruises. She gave up on it, and hugged Eugene tightly again.

“Mom, you’re crushing me,” Eugene said. “I’m fine, you can cut it out.”

“I will not cut it out,” Angella said. “I’ve been absolutely beside myself with worry.”

Eugene sighed, wriggling out of her hug. Angella paused, suddenly suspicious. “You usually teleport out of my embraces. What’s going on?”

“Nothing!” Eugene said quickly. “I just need to recharge.”

“Of course,” Angella nodded. “Guards, carry Eugene to the moonstone chamber at once.”

“I can walk just fine!” Eugene said.

Angella pursed her lips. “Fine. Then you have time to tell me what happened,” Her face grew solemn. “I received word of Varian’s loss.”

Eugene’s face went from mildly irritated to mournful in a second.

“Well?” Angella said. “Eugene? Pascal? Rapunzel? Someone tell me what happened!”

Rapunzel and Pascal began talking at the same time, but Eugene stepped forward. “Leave my friends alone,” He said. “Just...give us a minute.”

“A minute?!” Angella asked, suddenly angry. “You were being held by the Horde!”

She paced, gesturing wildly. “I’ve been driving myself mad, telling myself awful stories about what could have happened to you!”

“I’m fine!” Eugene said, a bit too flippantly, as Angella looked ready to start yelling. “We’ll talk later, I promise, I just...need a minute. We all do.”

Angella closed her eyes, and forced herself to take a breath. “Fine,” She said. “This conversation isn’t over.”

Eugene looked relieved, trying to walk as casually as he could down the hall, though he looked a bit silly in his ripped, fancy clothes. “I’m sorry.” Rapunzel said quietly to the queen.

Once out of sight from his mother, Eugene leaned against the wall, biting back a cry of pain as the red shudder passed through him again. 

Rapunzel rushed up to him. “It’s happening more often.”

“Does it hurt?” Pascal asked. 

“No.” Eugene lied.

“We need to tell your mom,” Pascal said. “She’ll know what to do.”

“No!” Eugene said. 

“Eugene, M-Gothel did something to your powers,” Rapunzel said. “You can’t teleport, and whatever that...glitching thing is, it keeps happening.”

“I don’t want my mom freaking out anymore than she already is, okay?” Eugene said. “Besides, I always feel better after I recharge, so…” He grinned, but neither of his friends returned the smile.

“Then it’s agreed!” Eugene clapped his hands. “I’ll recharge, stop glitching, and we never have to discuss this again!”

“Oh boy.” Pascal said.

*** *** ***

“Not only did you lose the prince of Corona,” Hector growled. “But I learned you knew Rapunzel was the Sundrop all along.”

Gothel managed not to flinch away, her squadron standing behind her. “Now you see why I felt it was so important to bring her back.” Gothel said. Cassandra smirked, wondering what Hector would do to Gothel. Demote her to sanitation duty? She bit her lip to keep from laughing at the thought.

“All you did was invite attack from an enemy combatant with detailed knowledge of our operations!” Hector snapped. “If I had known, I never would have agreed to your foolish plan.”

The two went back and forth, and Cassandra drank in every second of Hector berating Gothel. 

No one noticed the reflection of glass goggles in the vents.

*** *** ***

“I can feel you watching me.” Eugene said, trying to relax under the Moonstone with little success.

“I am not.” Pascal said. 

Eugene cracked his eye open, and Pascal immediately looked away.

“Okay!” Eugene said, hopping up. “See? I told you. I just needed a second to rest-”

This time the shudder took him by surprise, and he yelped. Pascal screamed shrilly, scooting away. 

Eugene panted. “Okay…” He said. “Didn’t work.”

“Didn’t work?!” Pascal repeated shrilly. “It made it worse!”

“Eugene, are you up there?” Angella’s voice echoed up, and Rapunzel looked out the window, seeing the queen make her way to the Moonstone.

“Uh, guys?!” She ducked down. “I think we have a problem.”

“Don’t tell her!” Eugene snapped, just as Angella flew in.

“Ah, Eugene. Are you feeling better?” She asked. 

“Uh, yeah! Fantastic! Ten out of ten!” Eugene coughed. “Anyway, we were just leaving. Bye!” Eugene grabbed Rapunzel and Pascal, dragging them out with him.

“Eugene?! Eugene! Don’t walk away from me-!” Eugene slammed the door, cutting her off.

*** *** ***

“Hector really let Gothel have it,” Cassandra chuckled, elbowing Lance. “Did you see the look on her face?”

“Well…” Lance frowned. “Not really. Kinda had a bad position behind her.”

“Trust me,” Cassandra said. “It was pretty great.”

There was a beeping, and an orb robot scuttled forward, head swiveling around the room as if searching for someone. Cassandra blinked, and then waved it off. “Well, anyway, serves her right,” She continued. “If she wants to take credit for my plans, she can take the blame too. She’s just-” She froze, and Lance bumped into her.

Lance stumbled. “Oh, sorry. You kinda just-”

“Sh!” Cassandra said.

“What? What is it?” Lance asked.

“I said sh!” Cassandra repeated, straining. 

Lance went quiet, and Cassandra strained her ears, trying to listen. There was something, there had to be something…

There was shuffling in the vent, and Cassandra sprang into action. 

She ripped the cover off of the vent, reaching in and grabbing the being inside. They yelped, trying to thrash away, but Cassandra threw them out.

It was a gangly kid, somewhere in his early teens. His face was covered in soot, and when he pushed his oversized goggles up, there was a fine ring around his eyes. His hair was dark and unkempt, and his pale blue eyes looked at Cassandra nervously. 

Cassandra blinked in shock, and the boy smiled nervously.

“Er,” He sneezed. “Hi.”

*** *** ***

“Maybe it’s like a cold,” Eugene mused. “I mean, I’ve never been sick before. Having an immortal mother has some advantages. What do you guys do when you have a cold?”

“Remain out of sight.” Rapunzel said darkly.

Pascal and Eugene glanced at each other. “What?” Rapunzel frowned. “Displays of physical weakness were strongly discouraged in the Horde.”

“Any ideas that aren’t super sad?” Eugene asked.

“But they’re right!” Rapunzel said. “I could have been training, and look what happened!”

“I don’t think you having a cold in your childhood is a major catalyst for anything,” Pascal said. “Colds, okay, um...lots of liquids and rest, and-I’ll make soup!”

“Can you make soup?” Eugene asked doubtfully.

“How hard can it be? It’s basically flavored water with stuff inside!” Pascal shrugged.

“Great!” Eugene said, deciding not to take any soup from Pascal. “I’ll take a nap, and I bet when I wake up, I’ll be good as new!”

He paused, craning his neck up to look at his high set bed. “...why’d I make my bed so high?!”

“We’re not letting anything run its course,” Rapunzel said. “You’re getting worse.”

“I’m not.” Eugene said, and then immediately collapsed into red light and shaking. He scowled when it was over. “What, does this sickness have comedic timing or something?!”

“Look,” Rapunzel said, helping him up. “You got sick because of whatever dark magic Gothel made with the Black Garnet. Maybe the flower can heal you. The Sundrop healed the trees in Equis.”

“You kind of just stabbed their machine.” Pascal mumbled.

“Well, I definitely fixed the Sea Gate.” Rapunzel said.

“Eugene isn’t machinery.” Pascal said. 

“Can we stop talking about Eugene like he’s not here? Cool, thanks.” Eugene grumbled.

“You don’t know how to fully control the Sundrop’s powers yet,” Pascal said. “No offense.”

“If you have any ideas that aren’t soup and naps, I’d love to hear it,” Eugene said. “Otherwise, this is our best bet.”

“I really don’t think-” Pascal started.

“For the honor of Der Sonne!” Rapunzel declared.

*** *** ***

Varian scowled, wriggling his hand in the chains that pinned him to the wall. He stopped when the door opened, and Cassandra and Lance stepped in. Cassandra spun a baton threateningly.

“Prisoner-” She growled. 

“That’s Varian.” Lance said.

“I know his name, I was just-” She huffed. “Nevermind. Lord Hector himself has tasked me with your interrogation. So there’s no use resisting.”

She held up the baton, and Varian leaned back. “I don’t care what it takes,” Cassandra hissed. “I’m going to drag the Rebellion’s plans out of you...now, why were you hiding in the Fright Zone?”

“We-we-well…” Varian said, still focused on freeing his hand. The handcuffs were loose. “I didn’t mean to. It kind of just happened. Kinda just waiting for the others to get back and find me. They had trouble before. So I figured it would make it easier for them if I just stayed here, which I’m realizing now was probably not the best idea...hey, have you seen a raccoon around here? Or a friendly robot who responds to Emily?”

Cassandra blinked. “They left you.”

No!” Varian said immediately. “No, no, they’re my friends, they’ll be back.” He managed to free his hands, wishing the guards hadn’t taken his alchemy stuff and tools. He pushed his goggles down over his face. 

Instead of getting angry, Cassandra sighed sadly. “Some friends…” She said. “They left you. I don’t think they’re coming back.”

“That’s not true.” Varian said, but he sounded doubtful.

“Isn’t that just like Rapunzel?” Cassandra asked. “She left me behind too. Like I was nothing. She got her precious Eugene and Pascal back, and all the royals are together. They don’t care about anyone who isn’t like them.”

She leaned against the wall next to Varian. Varian was looking down, expression concealed by his goggles. “But you’re not like them, are you?” Cassandra asked. “You’re not royal.”

Varian was absolutely silent, head hung low. “I…” 

“You wouldn’t have to pretend to be someone you’re not in the Horde,” Cassandra said. “Think of what you could accomplish here. Think of what we could accomplish together.”

Varian was quiet, deep in thought. “I...you’re offering me a job?”

“More than that,” Cassandra said. “I’m offering you a friend.”

“I...Horde technology is fascinating…” Varian said, half talking to himself. “Emily’s the most advanced bot I’ve ever built, and she was one the fly!”

“Emily?” Cassandra asked.

“Oh, sorry, let me introduce you.” Varian clapped twice.

A blast of heat suddenly came from behind the door, and Lance only just managed to grab Cassandra before she was deep fried. The same robot from before scuttled in, beeping good-naturedly. 

Cassandra gasped, glancing at Lance, and then the robot. Varian grinned, patting it on the head.

Cassandra looked at the molten hole in the metal door and smiled.

“Those royals have no idea who they’ve left behind.” She said to herself.

*** *** ***

“Uh…” The Sundrop shuffled. “Healing powers, activate.” She pointed the flower at Eugene.

Nothing happened.

“Heal Eugene…!” She commanded, waving the flower.

“Who’s ready to stop messing with scary magic items?” Pascal asked. “I am!”

“Maybe if you blast me with the light power thing…” Eugene mused.

“Or, and I know this is gonna sound crazy,” Pascal said. “Don’t hit Eugene with a light ray!”

“It’s fine, I got this.” The Sundrop said.

“Maybe it’s like a motion,” Eugene said. “Like...a jab or a strike!”

“Do you want to be obliterated by magic solar energy?!” Pascal asked.

“Can everyone please be quiet?!” The Sundrop demanded. “I’ve got everything under control.”

She held out the flower to Eugene, waving it away at him. It shimmered, and Eugene flinched slightly. Pascal gnawed at his fingers. “Oh, this is such a bad idea.”

The flower began to glow brightly, and the Sundrop grinned. “Oh, I think it’s working!” She rested the flower on top of Eugene.

“Uh huh, definitely feel something.” Eugene said. Then he frowned. “Or-”

He gasped, suddenly shuddering again. “Guess not.” He said through clenched teeth.

The Sundrop groaned, releasing a beam of light from pent up frustration. It cracked the wall, and Pascal squealed. “Don’t do that!”

*** *** ***

“Sorry again,” Varian said. “About the wall.” He glanced at Emily sadly, who was also now chained up next to him.

“Don’t worry about it.” Cassandra said, pacing.

“You’re not mad?” Varian blinked. “Usually people get mad.”

“Are you kidding?” Cassandra paused in her pacing. “I’m impressed! You rebuilt that robot-I mean Emily-all on your own? While living in the vents?”

“Yeah!” Varian said, once again getting out of the cuffs. “Not only that, she’s better than ever. Stronger, increased weapon capabilities, and affectionate too!”

Emily whirred happily. “Who knows how much more powerful she could be if I just had access to my alchemy supplies and First Ones tech! You don’t happen to have that here, do you?” Varian looked hopeful.

“First what?” Cassandra asked.

“First Ones tech!” Varian smiled. “You know, advanced technology left behind by an ancient lost civilization? Makes our modern innovations look like children’s toys?”

Cassandra looked blank, but Varian continued. “I’ve been attempting to integrate First Ones tech into my experiments for years, but my understanding of their code is still...so-so. If I could find a key to their language, there’s no telling what I could discover!”

“And…” Cassandra smiled. “Where would one find this tech?”

“Oh, it’s buried all over the planet. It gives off a signal that can be traced,” Varian grinned widely. “Lately, I’ve been tracking the strongest signal I’ve ever seen! It must be a massive stash.”

Cassandra’s grin almost matched Varian’s. “Where?!”

“I’ve triangulated the signal somewhere in the Whispering Woods,” Varian said. “The whole shifting landscape thing sorta makes it hard to pinpoint an exact location, but I’ve created a map with two accurate quadrants.”

“How do I get my hands on this map?” Cassandra asked. 

“Ah, hang on, I think your guards missed it…” Varian dug deep into his pockets, and retrieved a small buzzing data pad. He handed it to Cassandra.

She frowned, shaking it and tapping roughly when it made a loud static noise. “No no, you have to be gentle.” Varian said.

“I am being gentle.” Cassandra said, shaking the pad wildly.

“Ah, no don’t-here, let me just-” Varian reached out, pressing a button, and the screen cleared, showing a clear map. 

Cassandra smiled, watching the glowing red dot blink on the screen.

*** *** ***

“What good am I if I can’t even heal one prince?!” The Sundrop said, kicking a pillow. She picked up the flower, glaring at it as though it had insulted her. “Why even carry a flower?!”

There was a sharp knock at the door, and Eugene sat up quickly. There was another knock, and he frowned. “Everybody act normal.” He said quietly, going to the door.

He opened it, forcing a smile when he saw Angella. “Mom! We’re busy…”

“I won’t be long,” Angella said. “You are requested for dinner with me tonight. Alone.”

“Ah…” Eugene frowned. “I’m just...really tired, can I just stay in my room and rest?”

“I’m sorry,” Angella said, looking mildly amused. “I don’t know why I said request. It’s not a request. You are required to have dinner with me, because I’m your mother, and also the queen.”

“She’s playing the queen card.” Pascal whispered.

“No need to answer,” Angella said. “I’ll see you in an hour.” She smiled slightly, and then left, leaving Eugene with a slightly stricken expression.

He slammed the door, and immediately leaned against it for support when the red light and pain once again wracked him. 

“That’s it,” The Sundrop said. “I can’t stay here and be useless. Pascal is right, I don’t know how to use my powers.”

“I didn’t say that,” Pascal said. “Not exactly.”

“The Horde has a lot of things wrong-okay, pretty much everything wrong-but the one thing they were right about it training!” The Sundrop said. “And how can I train if I don’t know anything about the Sundrop?”

She sighed. “I’m going to go somewhere where I can learn. And then I’ll fix you, Eugene”

“Can you do it in less than an hour?” Eugene asked.

“Probably not because I don’t know where I’m going.” The Sundrop said, and Eugene frowned. 

“I need to find the place that Madame Razz took me,” The Sundrop said. “It’s some sort of beacon, I can’t explain it, but I know I’ll get answers there.”

“Running away!” Eugene snapped. “A little desperate, but I like it!”

“No!” The Sundrop said. “I have to do this on my own.”

“Wait, you can’t just leave me here-no don’t jump out the window!”

“She’s okay!”

“Ugh…”

*** *** ***

Cassandra concealed her shiver when Gothel came up behind her. She continued to pack her bag. “Going somewhere?” Gothel asked.

Cassandra huffed. “Like I’d tell you. I’ve got a lead on something big and I’m not about to let you take the credit for it again. Not that it worked out great for you last time, I mean…” 

Cassandra trailed off, looking at Gothel. She was haggard, and despite having only used to Black Garnet recently, dark circles the color of smoke were already under her eyes, and her glossy hair was limp and frayed. She leaned against the wall, looking as though she had just run a marathon.

Cassandra looked away quickly. It scared her to see Gothel like this. “Don’t worry about that thing with Hector,” She said. “I have a ton of experience being yelled at. Mostly by you, actually...but you get used to it.”

This seemed to snap Gothel out of her stupor, and she scowled deeply. “I will not be used to mediocrity like you!” She forced herself to stand straight. “And I certainly don’t need your pity!”

Cassandra didn’t flinch away, merely staring at her. Gothel sighed after a moment. “I was hard on you,” She said. “I won’t deny it. Nor will I apologize. I just wanted to prepare you for the world. I wanted you to be strong.”

“Well,” Cassandra said, slinging her bag over her shoulder. “Congrats. I’m plenty strong now.”

She made her way to the door, feeling oddly empty. “And I don’t need you.”

She left before Gothel could reply.

*** *** ***

“Listen, Eugene,” Pascal said. “I appreciate you trying, but you can’t protect me anymore. We have to tell your mom.”

“We absolutely do not,” Eugene said. “And what do you mean protect you?”

“Isn’t it obvious?!” Pascal looked suddenly distraught. “This is all my fault! If I hadn’t gone to prom with Fidella, we wouldn’t have been separated, and then I wouldn’t have gotten kidnapped, and then you wouldn’t have gotten sick! See?! All my fault!”

“The mental hoops you had to jump through to get to that conclusion-and anyway, it’s my fault,” Eugene sighed. “I was being stupid. I shouldn’t have been so weird about you hanging out with other people. I’m sorry, Pascal.”

Pascal whimpered. “You can’t be sorry when I’m trying to be sorry.”

“But your sorry is wrong and mine is right.” Eugene said. He sighed. “You know what? Let’s...just both be sorry.”

Pascal smiled, and Eugene opened his mouth-probably to tease him-and a strangled yelp came out when he flashed red again. 

“How am I going to get through dinner without my mom noticing?!” Eugene asked. “Oh, hey, we can start a fire!”

“Alright, calm down, Sea Hawk.” Pascal said.

*** *** ***

“I gave the staff the night off so it could be just us,” Angella said. “And I made your favorite.” She paused. “Well, I didn’t, the staff did before I gave them the night off.”

“Thanks.” Eugene said, trying not to think about glitching.

“We’ve hardly had a chance to talk since you’ve returned.” Angella said. 

“Well, you know,” Eugene shrugged. “Not much to talk about.”

“Not much to-” Here they went. “You were kidnapped!”

“But I’m back now.” Eugene said.

“And you lost a friend during the escape!” Angella shouted. 

Eugene looked down at that, an uncomfortable buzzing feeling prickling his skin. _No no no no not now…!_

“I get it, Mom, I failed.” He said in a low voice. 

“That’s not what I-!” Angella stumbled back in surprise as Eugene collapsed with a garbled shout, red light flashing over him. _Fantastic-oh, this one hurts, ow-_

“Stop, Eugene-!” Angella rushed to his side, looking terrified. Eugene grit his teeth, waiting for it to pass, looking everywhere but Angella. “What is going on, what aren’t you telling me?!” Angella demanded. “And if you say ‘it’s fine’ you will be grounded until you die!”

“I know I messed up, okay?! You don’t need to yell at me!” Eugene jerked away from her, hauling himself to his feet. “I know I’m a disappointment already!”

“What are you talking about?!” Angella demanded, and Eugene was suddenly glad there was no staff around. 

“Varian died trying to rescue me, the Royal Alliance is over, and Gothel did something to my powers!” Eugene fought not to spiral, but it was too much. “I’m sorry I screwed it all up, okay? You can’t possibly know what it’s like to be such a screwup!”

“I couldn’t know?!” Angella yelled. “I got your father killed!”

Eugene had a few comebacks prepared for whatever he had expected his mother to yell back at him, but they all died on his lips. He went silent, and Angella blinked when she realized what she had said, and turned away. 

“I ordered the battle your father perished in,” She said quietly. “I’ve never forgiven myself.”

“I…” Eugene was quiet. “I didn’t know that.”

“It’s not something I prefer to reveal,” Angella said, and then turned back to Eugene. “Why didn’t you tell me you were sick?”

“Because… I was ashamed. I acted without thinking, the exact thing you’re always telling me not to do,” Eugene looked down at his hands. “I teleported right into their trap. The Alliance is over, and it’s my fault.”

“Eugene…” Angella sat next to him and took his hands. “I’m the one who failed. If I hadn’t let the first Alliance fall apart after your father died, none of this would be happening.”

She sighed, and then managed to smile at Eugene. “Don’t make the same mistake I did. I should have kept fighting. And you should too.”

“But the others all quit.” Eugene said. He paused. “You...don’t think the Rebellion is done?”

“With you leading it?” Angella smiled for real this time. “Not a chance.”

“Even if my powers are gone?” Eugene asked with trepidation.

“We’ll figure it out,” Angella promised. “Together.”

*** *** ***

Two people on opposite sides of the woods and in life stepped into the forest, one guided by intuition, and one guided by spite and a trackpad.

One was walking in circles despite her best efforts, the woods whispering uselessly to her. The other flinched away at movement, but hid it behind a scowl.

And they were both very afraid, for very different yet very similar reasons. 

But as one found a temple made of glass, hope sparking in her for the first time since Varian had died, the other spotted her, and scrambled up a tree, smiling when she saw her enter.

Cassandra chuckled to herself. “Hey, Raps.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> we have a halloween tangled special coming out this saturday as well as the next chapter, so keep an eye out for that as well!


	11. Promises, Promises

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!! REMEMBER TO CELEBRATE SAFELY, WE ARE STILL IN A PANDEMIC!!!!
> 
> who's ready to get mean???

Cassandra shifted in the tree, watching Rapunzel watch towards the glass temple, which was glowing brightly in her presence. She paused at the entrance, and the ground in front of her lit up, opening downwards to reveal a secret tunnel.

Rapunzel paused for a briefest second, and then entered. 

Cassandra waited for her to disappear inside, and then slipped in, only just avoiding being crushed by the closing door. 

She smiled to herself.

*** *** ***

Rapunzel followed the gentle pink glow along the wall, unsure where it was leading her. But if it was a way to help Eugene, a way to understand her powers, she would take it. 

She paused when the hallway opened up into a massive room. There was a platform in the center of the room, and tall, white crystals were scattered across the room. If they made a formation, Rapunzel couldn’t see it. 

She approached the platform and looked around. “Hello?”

Her voice echoed.

She sighed. “I carry the flower of Der Sonne!” She called. “I’ve come for help. Is anyone here?”

A beat passed, and then something lit up behind Rapunzel. A holographic woman-not Light Hope-stared at her. “Greeting, administrator,” She said in a dull voice. “What is your query?”

“I need your help to heal my friend,” Rapunzel said, forcing herself to look the image in the eye. “He’s been cursed, and I don’t know how to save him. The legends say the Sundrop could heal people with the flower. How do I do that?”

The hologram did not move. “What is your query?” She repeated. 

Rapunzel huffed. “No this again…” She held up the flower. “For the honor of Der Sonne!”

She felt power rush through her, and her hair glowed, lengthening into the impossibly long blonde style she was starting to become used too. “How about now?” She asked the hologram.

“Administrator detected,” The hologram said. “Welcome, Sundrop.”

“What can you tell me about the flower?” The Sundrop asked. 

“Subject: Sundrop Flower,” The hologram said. “Classification: pseudo-portable runestone, keyed exclusively to administrator, the Sundrop, Princess of the Sun.”

“How can I use this flower to heal my friend?” She asked.

“The Sundrop Flower itself has no healing elements.” The hologram said.

“But...ugh!” The Sundrop sighed deeply. “The legends say the flower has healing powers. Is that true?”

“One of the flower’s many intended functions is to allow the Sundrop to heal and restore balance.” The hologram said. 

“How do I do that?” The Sundrop asked.

“Query not recognized.” The hologram said, and it was probably just the Sundrop’s imagination, but she sounded almost mocking.

“How do I use the flower to heal people?!” She asked.

“One of the flower’s many intended functions-” The hologram started, but Rapunzel shook her head with another long groan. 

“Is there someone else I can talk to?!” The Sundrop asked.

“Query not recognized.”

“Okay-” The Sundrop said, turning away-

_The blue woman, staring at her with a stoic expression among a galaxy filled with stars._

“Let me talk to Light Hope.” The Sundrop said. 

“Light Hope.” The hologram repeated, and flickered.

Light Hope,” The Sundrop nodded. “That’s her name, isn’t it? The woman I saw when I touched the flower for the first time, where is she?”

“Yes…” The hologram said. “Light Hope is here. She has been waiting for you.”

“Can I talk to her?” The Sundrop asked.

“You will meet her soon enough,” The hologram said. “But first, you must let go. You are not ready yet. Let go.”

“Let go of what?”

Something red flashed behind her, and on instinct, the Sundrop whirled around and sent a blast of light towards it. Cassandra just barely managed to leap out of the way, holding something tightly. “Watch it!” She snapped.

“Cassandra?!” The Sundrop said incredulously. “What are you doing here?!”

“Unauthorized presence detected,” The hologram said darkly, turning red. “Security protocol activated.”

She disappeared, and the room was plunged into a red glow. “No no wait!” The Sundrop shouted uselessly.

“What just happened?” Cassandra asked.

“This isn’t good…” She turned to glare at Cassandra. “You’re not supposed to be in here!”

The door around them began to slide shut, and the Sundrop sprinted towards the closest one, grabbing Cassandra’s arm. She ignored her friend’s shout of protest, but stopped suddenly when the hallway she had been going to suddenly lit up with red eyes and squealing. 

The two stumbled back as mechanical spiders scurried out from the hallway. “What are those?!” Cassandra said shrilly.

“Also not good!” The Sundrop said, grabbing her arm once again. The last door closed, but with a grunt, the Sundrop managed to lift it.

“Come on! We need to run!” She said. Cassandra gathered up as much blonde hair as she could carry, sprinting into the hallway. The Sundrop ducked underneath, just managing to grab the last of her hair as the metal door slid closed.

They skidded into a hallway, but the lights behind them suddenly started to turn off with startling quickness. More spider eyes appeared, wailing in metal malice. 

“What’s going on?!” Cassandra panted, struggling not to drop the Sundrop’s hair. “Why are those things trying to kill us?!”

“They’re trying to kill you!” The Sundrop said. “This place sees you as an invader!”

“Then tell them to stop!” Cassandra said frantically.

“I’ve tried that! It didn’t work! Clearly, nothing here listens to me!” The Sundrop snapped. 

They rounded a corner, freezing at a dead end. “Raps?!” Cassandra asked, pressing herself against the wall.

“Stand back!” The Sundrop said, and summoned a beam of sunlight, aiming at the ceiling. It shot out, and the ceiling cracked, raining rocks and debris down on the spiders as they rounded the corner. 

“That’s a horrible idea!” Cassandra said, but the Sundrop grabbed her, suddenly realizing that she was right, but it was too late now because the ceiling was already caving in-

There was a bright glow, and the Sundrop realized that her hair had wrapped around the two in a kind of bubble, protecting them. After a moment, the glow of her hair died away, and then disappeared altogether as Cassandra pushed away, coughing in the dust.

Rapunzel scowled. “You shouldn’t be here. Those things aren’t gonna stop until they get you, and as long as I’m protecting you, they’ll see me as a threat too.”

“I didn’t ask you to protect me.” Cassandra said.

“I’ll just stand by next time metal spiders come then, sorry-what are you even doing here?!” Rapunzel demanded.

“None of your business.” Cassandra snapped.

“Does M-” Rapunzel bit her lip, irritated with her own slip up. “Does Gothel know you’re here?”

“I’d say Gothel has bigger problems now,” Cassandra chuckled, and then paused when she saw Rapunzel’s expression. “Why are you-wait, no, I know what this is about. Ugh…” She sighed. “I knew you’d be weird about me letting you escape. I told you, it’s not because I like you!”

“I didn’t...I didn’t even say anything. You’re awfully defensive, Cass.” Rapunzel grinned. 

“What are you doing out here, then?” Cassandra asked, blushing slightly. “Where are your new best friends? I thought you guys did everything together.”

“Oh, my friends?” Rapunzel’s smile disappeared. “The ones you kidnapped and held for ransom? The ones you let Gothel imprison and curse?”

“Duh,” Cassandra said. “Unless you have other friends I don’t know about.”

Rapunzel glared at her. “Come on. Those things will be back any minute, and we need to get out of here.”

“Well, we don’t need to go together,” Cassandra said. “You do your weird little magic quest thing, and I’ll find my own way.”

“There’s one way.” Rapunzel said, gesturing to the open hallway and the blocked off path behind them.

Cassandra scowled deeply.

*** *** ***

“Another dead end,” Cassandra said, glaring at a stained glass window. “We’ve been walking forever, this place is a maze!”

“It’s not a dead end,” Rapunzel said. “Eternia.”

The glass door opened up, revealing a pitch black room. Cassandra looked at her strangely, and Rapunzel shrugged. “Long story.”

They stepped in, and Rapunzel held up the flower for some kind of dim light. “Infinite Darkness Room, very useful. Great job, Raps.” Cassandra said dryly. She turned, heading towards the entrance. “Have fun, I’m gonna find another way out-where’d the door go?!”

The door had disappeared. 

Rapunzel squinted, seeing a faint orange light. “Hey, I think...Light Hope? Hello?”

She approached the light, Cassandra right behind her. There wasn’t anything there, just a tiny ball of orange light the size of a grape. Cassandra leaned down towards it. “What’s-”

The light flashed, and the two stumbled back with a shriek. The room seemed to go static, and then suddenly, a landscape appeared. “What…?!” 

Rapunzel grabbed Cassandra, who looked startled. “What game are you playing?!” Rapunzel demanded.

“Hey, hey!” Cassandra said. “I don’t know how we ended up in the Fright Zone again, I don’t know what’s going on! This isn’t possible.”

“So what is this?!” Rapunzel challenged. “Some kind of Gothel mind trick?!”

“If it is, I didn’t know about it. But I doubt it. Let me go!” She pushed Rapunzel away roughly and stomped off.

Rapunzel was quiet for a moment, and then noticed the pipes on the walls flicker. 

“Rapunzel?!” Rapunzel whirled around at her name, her heart beating when she realized that Cassandra sounded afraid.

“Cass?!” 

She froze, seeing a little girl behind her, who looked miserable. She was pale, with gray-green eyes, and long messy black hair. Blood dripped from her nose slowly, as though it had been doing so for a while. The little girl seemed to look right through Rapunzel, and Rapunzel stumbled back.

Little Cassandra’s eyes welled with tears. “Rapunzel!” She said, rushing right past Rapunzel, and to another little girl who looked concerned for her.

Rapunzel blinked. It was herself, over a decade younger. 

“Rapunzel, there’s-” The real Cassandra-or Rapunzel assumed she was real-came up behind her, but froze when she saw the two younger versions of themselves. 

“Does it look broken?!” Little Cassandra asked, her voice wobbly.

“It’s not broken, you’re fine!” The younger Rapunzel said, smiling at her. “And why would you pick a fight with Octavia anyway?”

“I didn’t do anything,” Little Cassandra said defensively. “All I did was exist near her.”

Little Rapunzel quirked her eyebrow.

“And kick her in the shins,” Little Cassandra admitted. “And call her a dumb face.”

“Cass-” Little Rapunzel sighed.

“What?! She has a dumb face!” Little Cassandra said.

“Where is she?” Little Rapunzel said, holding out her hand.

Little Cassandra paused, and then sighed, taking her hand and leading her down the hall to the stairwell. She led her to a tall octopus woman, who was holding ice to her shin on the landing below them. “Hey Octavia!” Little Rapunzel leaned over the metal railing. “You’re a dumb face!”

Octavia’s head jerked up and she scowled. “Why you-” She stood up and winced.

The two girls took off, giggling to themselves, holding tightly to each other as they ran, drinking in their little victory.

The Fright Zone disappeared, and they were back in the hall.

Cassandra’s expression was...odd. “What was that?”

“It must be some kind of simulation,” Rapunzel said. “It’s tapping into our memories.”

“Ugh, this place is so weird…” Cassandra grumbled. “How can you deal with all this magic stuff?”

Rapunzel’s expression hardened. “I’m only dealing with it because I need to figure out how to heal Eugene after someone got him cursed!”

“What do you want?” Cassandra asked. “An apology? Good luck.” She started down the hall.

Rapunzel frowned. “Can I ask you something?”

“No, but you’re going to anyway.” Cassandra said. 

Rapunzel opened her mouth, and then paused as she nearly stepped into a massive pit in the next room. A single pillar lay over it, a dangerous bridge. “Why did you help us escape after Gothel captured us?” Rapunzel asked.

“Not this again.” Cassandra grumbled. She started walking over the pillar, and Rapunzel followed.

“It’s the one thing I can’t figure out,” Rapunzel said. “You didn’t have to do it. You could have gotten caught-ah!” 

She stepped down off the pillar, and stumbled back into the pit. Cassandra grabbed her hand, stopping her from falling. Rapunzel’s mind instantly went to Prom, and how now the roles were eerily reversed.

Cassandra’s expression looked bored. “Do you really think I’d just let Gothel erase your memories like that?”

“I don’t know,” Rapunzel said, still dangling over the edge. “Probably.”

“Yeah, well…” Cassandra pulled her up. “You never had much faith in me.”

“Can you blame me?” Rapunzel asked.

A shadow of deep hurt passed over Cassandra’s face before she shrugged. “Not really.”

They walked in silence for a minute before Cassandra spoke up. “It wasn’t...all bad growing up in the Fright Zone, was it?” She asked. “I mean, you still have some good memories of it, right?”

“Of course I do,” Rapunzel said. “But it doesn’t change the fact that the Horde is evil. I had no choice, I couldn’t go back.”

Cassandra looked away. 

“Hey,” Rapunzel shoved Cassandra lightly. “I miss you too.”

“Wha-” Cassandra bristled. “I don’t miss you! Get over yourself!” She shoved Rapunzel back.

She laughed. “Not until you admit you like me!” She lunged at her, getting her in a headlock.

“I don’t like you!” Cassandra shoved her off, but her voice was light and happy. 

Rapunzel laughed, backing into a crystal, and then gave a shout of surprise when it gave out-

They were in the training room for the Horde, and the floor lit up red when Rapunzel landed on it. Cassandra looked surprised, her eyes darting around. “This again?!”

A slightly older Cassandra-maybe between ten and thirteen-rushed past them with a cry, her training weapon held high. She lunged at a similarly aged Rapunzel, who blocked with a smug smile, and the two were at it, their weapons a flurry as they tried to best each other, evenly matched opponents.

Young Rapunzel managed to grab her friend’s weapon, throwing her across the room. Young Cassandra yelped. “Ow!”

Instantly, Rapunzel rushed to her. “Are you okay?!”

Cassandra grinned to herself, and before Rapunzel could realize the trick, Cassandra swung her weapon, taking out Rapunzel’s legs. 

Cassandra pinned Rapunzel, but had to dodge when a young Adira emerged, and Cassandra refocused her attacks on her. 

Cassandra whacked Adira in the chest, and the sensor on her went red, signaling a loss. Cassandra panted, looking oddly angry, and Rapunzel took the opportunity to leap at her, hitting her sensor.

Cassandra stumbled, and there was the blare of the alarm. “And there’s our winner.” The cadet trainer said. Rapunzel smiled, and offered her hand to Cassandra. Still scowling, Cassandra took her hand.

“Good work, cadet,” The trainer nodded at Rapunzel. “I like your focus. This win will definitely be reported back to Lord Hector.”

Rapunzel smiled more widely, but Cassandra made her way to Adira. “What was that?!” She snapped. “Way to gang up on me!”

“You were fighting dirty,” Adira shrugged. “I was just leveling the field.”

Cassandra tensed, but instantly relaxed when Rapunzel put her hand on her shoulder. “You were great! Did I hurt you?” Rapunzel asked, looking worried.

“N-no, I’m fine,” Cassandra shrugged her off, and then grinned. “You’re just lucky I let you win.”

“Right.” Rapunzel chuckled.

“I’m serious!” Cassandra said. “If I came in first, people might expect me to actually start doing stuff around here. Trust me, second place is fine.”

“Yeah, alright,” Rapunzel shrugged. “Come on, let’s go cool down.”

“I’ll meet you there.” Cassandra said, and Rapunzel nodded, racing to catch up with Adira, Kyle, and Rogelio, instantly falling into light-hearted chatter with them.

Cassandra went the opposite way, trying to blink away tears. It was stupid to cry, Adira was just annoying like that. But that didn’t change the fact that she couldn’t fall into conversation with them like Rapunzel could, because Cassandra wasn’t bright and sunny and people didn’t want her around. 

They wanted Rapunzel around, and as much as she hated it, Cassandra could see why. Rapunzel was perfect. Cassandra was not. Cassandra was mean and fought dirty and snapped and picked fights with Adira, and Rapunzel was the only one who wanted her around, although Cassandra couldn’t fathom why-

She caught sight of herself in a mirror and stumbled back with a yelp. She was her present day self again, and the mirror lit up with spider eyes. “Unauthorized presence detected.” It said in a cold, clinical voice. 

“Security protocol activated.”

*** *** ***

Cassandra screams echoed through the room, and Rapunzel blinked, suddenly herself again. “Cassandra?!”

There were more screams, and she started sprinting to the source. “Cass!” She burst into the locker room and gasped.

A spider was leaning over Cassandra, a green goo dripping from its fangs. Cassandra was wrapped in it, her screams muffled, thrashing frantically. She caught sight of Rapunzel, and tried to reach out, her green-gray eyes filled with utter terror. The spider began to drag her back through a mirror on the wall.

“No!” Rapunzel lunged forward, grabbing Cassandra’s arm, and Cassandra gripped her hand so tight her fingernails dug into Rapunzel’s skin. Although Rapunzel was sure she was doing the same. 

Her grip slipped slightly, and Cassandra’ face went white.

The spider yanked, pulling Cassandra through the mirror, and her muffled screams echoed. 

Rapunzel tried to follow, but the mirror was solid. She pounded uselessly on it. “Cassandra!”

*** *** ***

“Raps! Rapunzel! Rapunzel!” Cassandra tried to scream, thrashing as the spider slowly dragged her down a long hallway. To its nest, maybe, if metal spiders had nests. 

She blinked away tears, wriggling her hand to grab her dagger tucked by her belt. She managed to grab the edge, and jerked it up, freeing herself. The spider shrieked as she stood up, and tried to spit more goo on her.

Cassandra dodged, and leapt onto the spider’s head. It shook, but Cassandra raised her arm and drove her dagger into the red eye of the spider. The spider wailed, but Cassandra stabbed it again and again, the tip of her dagger digging into the cracks and crevices of the metal, tearing it up. 

The spider tilted dangerously, and Cassandra jumped off, smiling to herself. She raised her dagger to finish it off-

Rapunzel appeared out of nowhere, driving her bow staff into the center of the spider’s head, and it went still. Cassandra hadn’t realized she had kept it. 

“Are you okay?” Rapunzel asked.

“I had it.” Cassandra said, irritation pinching at her gut.

“Sure you did,” Rapunzel smiled, glancing back at the spider. “We need to make sure we stay together from now on.”

“Will you stop telling me what to do?!” Cassandra snapped. “I’m sick of this stupid place, let’s just get out of here.”

Rapunzel stepped back, surprised. “What is your problem? I was trying to save you!”

“I don’t need you to save me!” Cassandra snapped, stomping off. “I’ve been doing just fine on my own! No thanks to you.”

“Cass, wait,” Rapunzel grabbed her arm, and to her surprise, Cassandra didn’t pull away. “I’m sorry for leaving. I couldn’t go back to the Fright Zone, not after I saw what the Horde was really doing.”

She looked down. “I never wanted to leave you…” She looked at Cassandra, hope in her eyes. “You could come with me! Join the Rebellion! I know you’re not a bad person, Cass, you don’t belong in the Horde.”

Cassandra didn’t say anything, but the world shifted, and they were suddenly in the Fright Zone again. “Let’s just get this over with.” Cassandra said, watching a seven year old version of herself run down the hall.

“Cass!” A tiny Rapunzel said, stumbling after her. “Wait up!”

“What’s it like being the world’s slowest person?” Cassandra teased, running ahead.

Rapunzel laughed, and the two chased each other around the halls, a meaningless game with no end until one of them declared it done or collapsed from lack of breath. A child’s game of endless, unfulfilled chase. One they were still playing with higher stakes.

Cassandra paused, seeing an open door that revealed a huge, glowing red gem. “It’s open!” She said, shocked.

Rapunzel stopped beside her, looking unsure. “We’re definitely not allowed in there.” She said. 

Then the two looked at each other, and suddenly harmless mischief seemed like the most tempting thing in the world. They ran into the room, giggling to themselves in pride at their own stealth. 

The real Rapunzel’s heart sank, because she suddenly knew exactly what was about to happen. “You don’t have to go in there.” She said to Cassandra, because she knew that Cassandra knew as well, and probably knew before she did.

Cassandra’s face was hidden by shadows, and without a word, she entered the Black Garnet chamber to watch a nightmare play out.

The children stared at the Black Garnet, the red glow of it reflecting in their eyes. “Woah.” Cassandra said, her voice filled with wonder. She approached it, and tapped it. She yelped when it sent an unpleasant jolt through her and stumbled back.

Rapunzel suddenly looked unsure, her desire for mischief dying away as quickly as it came. “Maybe we should go.” She said.

There was a pained groan from the doorway, and the two girls leapt behind a crate. Someone stumbled in, hunch over painfully as though barely able to stand, limping towards the Garnet. Their face was concealed by a heavy cloak, and they placed their hands on the Garnet.

It seemed to help them slightly, and they stepped back, slumping against the basin. Their cloak hood fell away.

Gothel leaned over the basin, her face horribly twisted, more wrinkles than skin, her eyes sunken into her skull so deep they were barely there. Her teeth were brown and rotted, and her hair was so thin her scalp was visible. Her hands, liver spotted and cracked, gripped the basin edge tightly.

Rapunzel gasped.

Gothel head jerked up, and she caught the girls looking before they could duck away. “GET OUT!” She screamed, and the two began to sprint, terrified of this thing that looked vaguely liked their caregiver, but had all the same features of a corpse

The door slammed shut. “Cassandra, you stay.” Gothel said, holding up her veiny hand. 

Cassandra stopped in her tracks with a cry. Her body shuddered in an odd, red glow, and Rapunzel could see her straining, but something held her in place. Tears welled in the young girl’s eyes. “What do you think you’re doing here?” Gothel asked. She touched the Garnet, and the awful lines and age began to fade until she was herself again, although her eyes were just as hard. She jerked her hand up, and Cassandra turned to face her.

“W-we were just playing!” Cassandra said. “I’m sorry, Momma, please don’t be mad-”

“Insolent pest!” Gothel spat. “I’ve come to expect such disgraceful behavior from you. But I will not allow you to drag Rapunzel down as well.”

“Mummy, it wasn’t her fault, it was mine!” Rapunzel said desperately, fear rising in her chest. She had never been afraid of her mother before, not truly, but…

“You have never been anything but a nuisance to me!” Gothel continued, shadows building around her and Cassandra. Cassandra whimpered, tears spilling down her cheeks. “I’ve kept you around this long because Rapunzel is fond of you. But if you ever do anything to jeopardize her future, I will dispose of you myself. Do you understand?”

Cassandra stared into Gothel’s eyes, and saw she completely meant it. No mind games. Honest truth. 

“Please, stop!” Rapunzel cried out, throwing herself in front of Cassandra. The shadows died away, and Gothel turned, but Cassandra remained in place. “She didn’t mean to!” Rapunzel said, grabbing Gothel’s hand.

“Rapunzel, darling,” Gothel knelt down to her, gently pushing a lock of hair behind her ear. “You must do a better job keeping her under control.”

Cassandra collapsed to the ground with a gasp, and tried to control her sobs. Gothel cupped Rapunzel’s cheeks gently. “Do not let something like this happen again.” She kissed Rapunzel’s forehead, laughed gently, and pushed her forward. Gothel shooed her. “Now, off you go.”

Rapunzel grabbed Cassandra’s hand, and the two left the Black Garnet chamber in stunned silence. 

That was the last time Cassandra ever referred to Gothel as her mother. Not that Gothel had ever referred to her as her daughter.

“You always have to play the hero, don’t you?” Cassandra asked. 

“I was only trying to protect you!” Rapunzel said.

“You never protected me!” Cassandra burst out. “Not in any way that would put you on Gothel’s bad side! Admit it, you love being her favorite!”

“That’s not true!” Rapunzel protested.

“Oh yeah?” Cassandra scoffed. “When you left, who do you think took the fall for you? Who was protecting me then?”

“You don’t have to let Gothel treat you like that anymore! You can leave, just like I did!”

“Oh, because I have to follow you wherever you go?”

“I didn’t mean it that way.”

“I don’t want to leave, what don’t you understand about that? I’m not afraid of Gothel anymore, and I’m a better Force Captain than you ever would have been!”

“You always said you didn’t care about things like that.”

“I was lying! Obviously!”

“Cass, wait-” Rapunzel grabbed her arm, but Cassandra threw her off.

“Why do you think I gave you that flower back in the Fright Zone?!” She demanded, her voice oddly hoarse. “I didn’t want you to come back, Rapunzel!”

Rapunzel stepped back, a pit forming in her stomach. 

Cassandra walked away, and Rapunzel didn’t stop her.

She stood in the hall, shaking, only snapped out of her stupor when she heard the squealing of mechanical spiders.

She grabbed the flower. “For the honor-” A spider spat out green goo, yanking the flower out Rapunzel’s hand and pining it to the ground. 

And then they sprang.

*** *** ***

Cassandra ran through the halls, echoes of memories half forgotten, half buried playing out around her. “Let me out of here!” She demanded, but the place did not heed her. She stumbled, falling to her knees, the world around her going oddly silent.

And then she heard crying.

A very, very young Cassandra was huddled in a scratchy blanket on the bottom bunk, sobbing. “Cassandra?” An equally small Rapunzel peeked in, slowly creeping up to Cassandra, pulling the blanket away from her face. 

“Go away!” Cassandra snapped.

“Cass, it’s okay! It’s just me!” Rapunzel sat next to her. 

Cassandra scrubbed her face, and Rapunzel frowned. “It doesn’t matter what they do to us,” She said softly. “You look out for me, and I look out for you. Nothing really bad can happen as long as we have each other.”

“You promise?” Both Cassandras asked at the same time, one voice filled with hope and one voice filled with bitterness. 

“I promise,” Rapunzel said, hugging Cassandra tightly. “And when I promise something, I never ever break that promise. Ever.”

Cassandra hugged the liar back, sniffling. 

“Come on,” Rapunzel said. “Let’s go back out.”

The two left the barracks, arm in arm. The little Cassandra paused, seeming to look right at the real one, a questioning look in her eyes.

Cassandra stared back evenly, feeling tired.

Then her younger self left, chasing after Rapunzel as she would for many useless years to come.

*** *** ***

“Stop it!” Rapunzel shouted, dangled over the edge of a pit by a spider. “I’m not your enemy! Light Hope! Just let me talk to Light Hope!”

She kicked the spider, and then realized her mistake when she fell, only just managing to grab onto goo to keep herself from falling into the abyss. 

The spider squealed in victory, and then paused, turning its attention to crashing that was gradually getting closer. She heard shouting, and the sounds of a fight, and felt a smile spread across her face. “Cass?!”

Cassandra’s face appeared over the ledge, holding the flower. She smiled, but there was something odd to it. “Hey, Raps.”

“Cass,” Rapunzel panted. “Help me up, please.”

Cassandra looked at the flower. “This thing wouldn’t work for me, would it? It only works for you,” She inspected the flower, unimpressed. “Then again, Gothel always said you were special, didn’t she? Guess she was right.”

“Cass,” Rapunzel said, suddenly filled with dread. “What are you doing?”

“You know,” Cassandra said thoughtfully. “It all makes sense now! You were the one holding me back. You wanted me to think I needed you. You wanted me to feel weak.”

Her face suddenly turned dark. “Every hero needs a sidekick, right?”

“No, that’s not how it was!” Rapunzel said. 

Cassandra laughed. “The sad thing is, I spent all this time hoping you’d come back to the Horde, when you leaving was the best thing that ever happened to me!” She knelt down, looking Rapunzel in the eyes. “I am so much stronger than anyone ever thought.”

Her dagger flashed, and cut the goo, just enough that Rapunzel was only hanging by one hand. “Cass, please, don’t-”

“I wonder what I could’ve accomplished if I had gotten rid of you sooner.” Cassandra mused. She sliced through the goo, and Rapunzel screamed, only barely managing to grab onto a thin notch in the ledge face. 

“I’m sorry!” She said desperately. “I never meant to make you feel like second best! Don’t do this!”

Cassandra looked at the flower once again, the world around her fading away into static. For a second, Rapunzel hoped this was some kind of illusion, and the real Cassandra would burst out and grab Rapunzel’s hand. She would be shaky, but they would leave together and go to the Rebellion, away from the metal howl of the Horde-

But then Cassandra smiled, and Rapunzel knew in her heart it was her.

Cassandra tossed the flower into the abyss. “Bye, Rapunzel,” Cassandra said softly. “I really am going to miss you.” She turned and left with no fanfare, the static creeping towards Rapunzel.

“Cass, no! Cass! Cassandra!” Rapunzel shouted, feeling tears sting her eyes. The static crept towards her, eating the wall away. She was so, utterly alone, and she closed her eyes as a sob wrenched from her chest.

“Rapunzel.” She opened her eyes again, seeing a blue woman peering down at her. 

“You must let go.” The woman said. 

_But there’s nothing to hold onto anymore! She’s gone!_

With silent tears, Rapunzel released her hold on the ledge, and fell.

*** *** ***

Varian hummed to himself happily, moving between several projects at a time. “What’s even in that?” Lance asked, eyeing a glowing beaker with trepidation.

“Don’t touch it,” Varian said. “It’ll either make you explode, make your fingers dissolve, or make you smell like strawberries for a week.”

“Those are…” Lance frowned. “Some varying results.”

“I haven’t worked out all the kinks.” Varian admitted.

The metal door slid open, and Cassandra came in. Lance instantly turned his attention to her. “What happened? You’re filthy! Do you need first aid?”

“Back off.” Cassandra said dully.

“How’d it go?” Varian asked excitedly. “Did you find it?”

“Um, why is the crazy kid scientist loose?” Cassandra asked.

“There’s too much to do!” Varian said, as though that was a perfectly good explanation. “But did you find it?” 

Cassandra sighed, handing a pink crystal to Varian. “An intact data crystal...this is amazing!” Varian said. “Emily, look at this! I’ve never seen one so perfect!”

“Oh man, I knew Cassandra could do it!” Lance grinned at Cassandra, who didn’t meet his eyes. “It’s like I was telling you, she’s the best friend ever!”

Cassandra stiffened as though she had been struck, but no one noticed.

“Just keep it down,” She told them, turning away. “I’m going to bed.”

She was very proud of herself for not shedding a single tear.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> by the way, there's a new tangled Halloween oneshot I wrote that I think you all should read because i think i did a good job on it
> 
> once again, happy halloween!!!


	12. Maximus' Return

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> as of now, biden is winning, but it's really close and i got no sleep because im so stressed out.

Rapunzel felt like she had been falling for ages. 

Memories flashed before her eyes. Gothel calling her name in a vaguely sinister tone, Eugene and Pascal fighting over something unimportant while she laughed with them, Cassandra (her friend, or used to be her friend) standing over her, looking down.

_Every hero needs a sidekick._

Rapunzel finally screamed, unsure when she would hit the ground, if ever. She closed her eyes-

And found herself standing up upright, unharmed in a blue, crystalline room. She blinked, realizing she was clutching the flower. Robotically, she pinned it to her hair, looking around the room in confusion. 

“Hello, Rapunzel,” Rapunzel shrieked, whirling around to see Light Hope. “You’ve come at last.” Light Hope observed.

“Light Hope,” Rapunzel breathed. “I can’t...I can’t believe I’m really seeing you! I mean I’ve seen you, in my brain, but uh...but this is real! This is-” She paused, suddenly concerned. “This is real, right? Or am I dead?!”

Light Hope stared at her, and Rapunzel coughed. “Sorry, freaking out. I’m Rapunzel.”

“Yes, I know,” Light Hope said. “I have been waiting here for you since you were an infant. But I could not reach you. And I could not protect you from the Horde. I watched you grow up from afar.”

“That’s…” Rapunzel paused. “Kind of creepy, honestly.”

“Creepy?” Light Hope said, almost to herself. “Yes. I have been called this before. I chose this form so as not to alarm you. But if it does not suit you, I will choose another.”

She disappeared, and Rapunzel paused, suddenly tense. 

“Is this better?” Rapunzel shrieked, stumbling back to see a holographic child smiling blankly at her.

“Oh, no,” Rapunzel said. “That’s...that’s much worse, actually.”

“Forgive me,” The original Light Hope appeared. “My human protocol is many years out of date. Allow me to select a form that you would find appealing.” Light Hope’s form began to shift and distort, becoming more and more uncanny.

“Oh no!” Rapunzel said. “Thank you, that’s enough! Please stop!”

*** *** ***

“Shouldn’t she be-” Eugene paused, a mercifully quick red jolt interrupting him. “-back by now? She said she was-ow!-getting training to-OW!-fix me! How long is this gonna take-!” He was cut off by a larger shudder, as if punishing him for powering through the first three.

“Okay, I’m worried too, but stressing yourself out isn’t going to help.” Pascal said.

“We can’t just sit here and hope she comes back eventually,” Eugene said. “We have to do something.”

“Like what?” Pascal asked. 

There was a knock at Eugene’s door, and after a moment of surprise, he opened it, seeing a flustered looking guard. “My Prince,” She said. “There’s, uh...something here to see you.”

“You mean someone?” Eugene asked.

“No.” The guard said. She gestured down the hall.

There was a grand whinny, and a large white stallion with wings and a horn trotted down the hall. Any other horse would have looked silly, but the stallion looked grand and noble.

“Our horse!” Pascal said.

“I am my own horse!” The horse said, which was unexpected. “Call me Maximus!”

Eugene jumped back with a shriek, and Pascal knocked over several books. “Our horse can talk?!” 

“Yes, yes, I can speak my mind now. So-” The horse-or Maximus, they supposed-said, going into Eugene’s room. 

“He’s a talking horse!” Eugene said shrilly.

“Yes, but-” Maximus looked frustrated.

“HE HAS WINGS!” Pascal said.

Maximus huffed, seeming to resolve to wait until the two had finished ogling at him. “Are you done?” He asked. Neither answered.

“Great!” Maximus said. “I think Rapunzel needs our help. Since she’s transformed me, I’ve been able to sense where she is. It’s like instinct. But now I feel a pull, as if I’m being summoned to her side.”

He raised his head grandly. “As part of Rapunzel’s herd, will you help me?”

Pascal was still staring openmouthed, and Eugene flinched as a quick shudder snuck up on him. “Of course.” He said anyway.

“Wait, Eugene, you’re still glitching.” Pascal said. 

“And?” Eugene asked. “Rapunzel left to help me. Now it’s time for us to help her. You in?”

“Yes! Of course! I just don’t think your mom is gonna like us leaving so soon after our last mission.” Pascal said.

“She doesn’t need to know,” Eugene said, probably with too much practiced ease. “We’ll sneak out and be back before my mom even realizes we’re gone.”

Eugene opened the door, and jumped back with yet another shudder and shriek when he saw Angella standing there, arm raised as she was about to knock. “Mom!” Eugene coughed, red-faced. “W-what are you doing here?”

“Coming to see why my guard was escorting a horse to your room.” Angella said, which was fair. 

“He talks.” Pascal said in an awed whisper before he could stop himself. Eugene elbowed him. 

“Neigh.” Maximus said unconvingly. 

Angella smiled slightly, oddly unsurprised by the horse. “You should get going if you want to rescue Rapunzel.”

“We...what?” Eugene blinked. “You’re not going to stop us?”

“Eugene, I told you I regretted giving up after your father died,” Angella said. “I will not consign you to the same regrets.”

Eugene smiled widely. “Thanks, Mom.”

Angella’s face turned serious. “Commander Eugene,” She said. “I order you to continue your mission to find Rapunzel and bring her home.”

“Right away, Your Majesty,” He saluted, and then motioned to Maximus and Pascal. “Come on!

*** *** ***

“Okay, what-” Cassandra paused when she entered Varian’s makeshift lab, materials and half-baked experiments everywhere. Lance waved at her, seated next to Emily. “What is going on here?”

“Cassie!” Varian said, jumping up and spotting the paper clutched in her hand. “You got my note!”

“The one you dropped on my head from the air vent that says ‘Come to my lab’?” She crumpled it up. “And don’t call me Cassie.”

“I’ve made great strides in analyzing the data from the First Ones crystal you brought me. Look!” He punched a few numbers in a keypad, but nothing seemed to happen.

“Where did all these supplies come from?” Cassandra asked. 

“Oh, you know,” Varian said vaguely. “Here, there, rooms.”

“Were there people in these rooms?” Cassandra asked.

Varian paused. “Well, not when I went to take the stuff…”

Cassandra laughed. “Oh, you belong with us, alright.”

Varian knew he should have been perturbed by her statement...but it was nice to feel wanted. Needed.

“So!” Varian said. “The data!”

With a big grin, he gently placed the crystal in a small hole he had filled out for it in the machinery. It turned blue, and the computer lit up with rushing information and schematics.

“Wow, woah,” Lance said. “That’s a lot.”

“Look at these readings!” Varian shook, he was so excited. “It’s incredible! This seems to confirm my theories about the techno-organic nature of First Ones machinery, resulting in thaumaturgical compatibility between magic and science!”

“I’m going to need you to explain that again,” Cassandra said. “But this time, try to talk like a normal person.”

“Lance seems like he understands.” Varian said, watching Lance scribble down page after page of notes with a vaguely distressed expression on his face. 

“He’s drawing stick figures holding hands.” Cassandra said.

“It’s us!” Lance said, holding out his drawing.

“Team Awesome!” Varian said happily. 

“Oh, I like that!” Lance grinned. 

“I looked at the rock,” Varian said, motioning to the crystal. “Which is a crystal, and used math-do you need me to explain math to you…?”

Cassandra groaned loudly. “Did the crystal give you enough information to update our weapons? Yes or no?!”

“Weapons?!” Varian looked at her incredulously. “This is so much bigger than weapons! This could change everything! Etheria’s not just a planet. Whatever the First Ones did, they went deep.”

“So what?” Cassandra said. “What does that mean?”

“You’re...asking me about my theories?” Varian asked. His face split into a wide grin. “I’ve been waiting years for someone to ask me about my theories!”

He grabbed Cassandra’s arm, and before she could pull away, he was dragging her across the room with childish delight. “Hang on, I made a model!”

*** *** ***

“I don’t want to be rude,” Rapunzel said, walking next to Light Hope. “But who are you?”

“I am Light Hope, Etherian facilitator,” Light Hope said. “I was created by the First Ones, as you call them.”

“Okay, follow up,” Rapunzel said. “Who are the First Ones?”

“The First Ones were explorers who journeyed from beyond the stars to settle Etheria. They built this place for you. The Crystal Castle.” Light Hope said. She turned to a stained glass window of the Sundrop. “Rapunzel, I have waited so long for you. And now, the time has come to show you your destiny.”

“Great, because I actually had a question-”

“You are the Sundrop, Etheria’s champion, appointed by the First Ones to protect and unite the planet. There have been many before you, but the line was broken. You are the first Sundrop in a thousand years.” Light Hope said.

*** *** ***

“Behold!” Varian said, ripping a cover off of a metal ball with green knobs on it. “Etheria!” The knobs began to blink, and Varian circled the model, looking proud.

“The First Ones didn’t just settle on the surface of Etheria,” Varian explained to a shocked looking Lance and Cassandra. “Their technology runs through the planet’s core. This whole planet is First Ones tech!”

*** *** ***

“Everything on Etheria is connected,” Light Hope said. “The royals are given power over the elements through their Runestones. As the Sundrop, it is your duty to bring the royals together. Only then can balance be restored to Etheria.”

Rapunzel coughed, a tad guilty for not paying much attention to the grand speech. “That sounds great,” She said. “But-”

“You are correct,” Light Hope said. “It is great.”

*** *** ***

“What are these supposed to be?” Cassandra looked at the green knobs.

“Runestones!” Varian said. “From the data I’ve managed to extract, they regulate the planet through the royals. They’re directly connected to each other and the planet’s power grid in a delicate balance.”

“Which means…?” Cassandra prompted. 

“Which means,” Varian turned to her, eyes shining. “They’re our best possible access points to hack the planet!”

*** *** ***

“When the royals are in balance with their elements, Etheria functions as it should,” Light Hope continued. “But the Horde is destroying us in their quest for power. There is no predicting what they will do next.”

*** *** ***

“Hack the planet?!” Cassandra asked, shocked.

“Hypothetically,” Varian admitted. “But it’s not that simple. There’s only a handful of Runestones in the world, and they’re all closely guarded.”

“Runestone?” Lance asked. “You mean like the Black Garnet? Cause, ah, we have that.” He chuckled.

“The Black Garnet?” Varian asked, and his voice steadily built in volume. “You have a Runestone? The Fright Zone has a Runestone?!”

“Yeah,” Lance shrugged. “It was my family’s. But when the Horde landed we gave it to Hector. And he gave it to Gothel. You know, you tell a friend, they tell a friend, it’s one of those things, you know?”

“Where is it?!” Varian squealed, grabbing Lance, who looked surprised by the boy’s extreme enthusiasm. “Can I see it?! Can I touch it?!”

“Okay, calm down!” Cassandra pushed Varian off, and Emily beeped a warning. “What exactly are you planning to do with it?”

“If we hack the Runestone grid, we could use the Garnet’s power and use it for, well…” Varian laughed. “Anything! As a power source, as-”

“A weapon?” Cassandra asked.

“Potentially!” Varian nodded. “But if it’s like my other experiments, it might explode.”

“I don’t think Gothel will like that.” Lance said.

Cassandra frowned. “Lance is right. She’ll be furious. So…” Cassandra smiled widely. “I will absolutely get you the Black Garnet. Leave it to me.”

None of them noticed the imp with yellow eyes staring down at them from the pipes in the ceiling. 

*** *** ***

“This is all super cool information,” Rapunzel said. “Can’t wait to hear more, but just one more thing-”

“Is there something you do not understand?” Light Hope asked. “I can start from the beginning, if you would like.”

“No-” Rapunzel said.

“I am Light Hope, Etheria’s facilitator-” Light Hope said, and Rapunzel groaned.

“No no, I got it!” Rapunzel said.

“Have I mentioned you were chosen?” Light Hope asked. 

Rapunzel struggled to find more patience. “Can we skip to the part about my powers?” She asked. “I need to learn how to heal my friend.”

“Your friend?” Light Hope said, unsure.

“Yes!” Rapunzel said, relieved that Light Hope seemed to be listening. “Gothel did something to Eugene and took his powers away. I need to figure out how to heal him.”

“His connection with his Runestone was disrupted.” Light Hope said. 

“Can I fix it?” Rapunzel asked.

“You will be able to do many incredible things with training.” Light Hope said. 

“Awesome,” Rapunzel said, her heart sinking slightly. “So how long does that take, an hour, a day…?”

“Years.”

“Year?!” Rapunzel asked shrilly. “Eugene doesn’t have years! He’s hurt because of me, I messed up! I got Eugene and Pascal captured, and Varian-” Her voice hitched. “It’s my fault! I have to fix it.”

Light Hope regarded her curiously. “Yes. Your mission is to fix the planet.”

“My mission is to help my friends,” Rapunzel said. “That’s why I came here.”

“You are the Sundrop. Your purpose is to protect all of Etheria. You cannot help only your friends.” Light Hope corrected.

“And why can’t I do both?!” Rapunzel felt desperate. 

“Rapunzel, you do not yet realize the power you have,” Light Hope said, her voice surprisingly gentle. “You are distracted by your attachments. There was one before you who could not let go. Her name was Mara.”

“Mara,” Rapunzel nearly whispered. “Madame Razz’s Mara. What happened to her?”

“Mara was the last Sundrop before you,” Light Hope said. “She struggled with a power she could not control until it became too much for her mind.”

Rapunzel felt cold. “She snapped?”

“She was compromised,” Light Hope said, though Rapunzel didn’t see the difference. “She gave into fear and faulty reasoning. Her desperate actions led to devastation. Mara stranded us in the empty dimension of Despandos. She broke the Sundrop line.” Light Hope’s expression almost looked mournful. “She nearly destroyed us.”

Light Hope turned back to Rapunzel once more. “Rapunzel, I have waited here for a thousand years alone. I did not know if I would ever see another Sundrop. You must stay here and train, learn to be the Sundrop that Mara could not.”

“I will!” Rapunzel said desperately. “I will, I’ll do whatever you want, I’ll come back here and train, and learn about everything. But I have to heal Eugene first. I can save the planet and save him!”

Something flickered, and Rapunzel stumbled back when she saw holographic images of Pascal and Eugene lying prone on the ground as they did in Mystacor. Another image flickered-Eugene trapped in the awful force field. He shouted, his voice distorted, face screwed up in pain.

“Rapunzel?” Rapunzel whirled around, seeing Cassandra’s image, face sooty and staring at her in horror as she backed into smoke that wasn’t really there and disappeared. 

“I just need a little more time!” Rapunzel winced at Varian’s voice, and saw him frantically tapping at a keyboard, face still alight with glee, entirely unaware he had minutes to live.

“You feel guilt at these memories,” Light Hope observed. “It is as you said, your friends are endangered by your presence. It is better to let go now.”

“But…” Rapunzel tore her eyes away from Varian. “I can’t just leave my friends.”

Varian faded away, and guilt swelled in Rapunzel’s chest.

*** *** ***

Varian, alive and honestly thriving, hummed aimlessly to himself, tinkering with the machine he had built around the Black Garnet. Lance passed him a screwdriver, and Varian smiled in thanks.

“Alright,” Cassandra came into the chamber, looking pleased. “Hurry it up. Those machines aren’t going to hook themselves up.”

“They won’t be hooked up at all!” Lance and Varian jumped as Gothel strided into the room, her bright eyes filled with fury. Lance stepped in front of Varian protectively. 

“Gothel!” Lance said. “We were just, um…”

“Silence!” Gothel roared. “Did you really think you could invade my inner sanctum without me noticing?!”

She went up to Casssandra, standing over her, looking even more angry when Cassandra showed no fear. “I never thought you were so bold as to openly rebel, but it will be my pleasure to put you back in your place!”

Cassandra looked her dead in the eyes, and smiled. “Oh, Gothel,” She chuckled. “I can do whatever I want with this rock.”

“Absurd,” Gothel hissed. “By whose authority?”

“By mine.”

The screens in the room lit up, and Hector yellow eyes stared at Gothel, unimpressed. 

Lance and Cassandra bowed, and after a moment, Varian followed their lead. Gothel choked. “Lord Hector, I-I don’t understand!” 

“Cassandra and Varian have been working on a way to meld this strange First Ones tech with our machines, to weaponize it. I found out,” Hector said calmly, taking no notice of the imp crawling on his shoulders. “And was intrigued. I gave Force Captain Cassandra and her team my blessing to go ahead. So understand, Gothel, I am displeased with your interruption.”

“My lord,” Gothel said, desperate. “You’re really going to let this, this…” She glared at Varian, who shrunk away to Lance again. “This child tinker with my Runestone?!”

“His tinkering has improved the firepower of everything he’s touched,” Hector said. “So yes, he gets to tinker with whatever he wants. Including the Black Garnet, which is mine to give or take!”

“You can’t,” Gothel said, her eyes wild and furious. “You can’t do this! I alone have learned to draw power from it, a feat no sorceress has done before! I have unlocked it’s potential!”

“And you’ve wasted it on your vanity!” Hector roared. He nodded at Cassandra. “Force Captain Cassandra, proceed. The Garnet is your’s.”

“Yes, Lord Hector.” Cassandra smiled.

“NO!” Gothel wailed, and shadows unleashed themselves, covering and shattering the screens. Cassandra threw herself out of the way of the shadows, and Emily beeped a nonsense warning. 

“Stop her!” Cassandra said. “Don’t let her-”

“You won’t take what is mine!” Gothel shrieked. She placed her hands on the Garnet, and it hummed with power. 

“Look out!” Lance shouted, rushing forward. Gothel spread her hands, and suddenly Lance, Varian, and Emily were caught in a red paralysis. Gothel stretched her other hand out towards Cassandra, and the latter only just dodged the shadows.

“That’s right, run away!” Gothel yelled. “It’s the only thing you’ve ever been good at!”

Cassandra drew her dagger, still dodging Gothel’s frantic shadows. “You’ve always been a disappointment, a pest!” Gothel shrieked. “You’ve learned nothing from me!”

“Oh no,” Cassandra said. “I’ve learned everything from you!”

Gothel laughed, high and mocking, but she could not land a hit on Cassandra. “How to predict where you’ll strike,” Cassandra said. “How to dodge, how to resist!”

She scrambled up the Black Garnet. “You thought you were punishing me all these years? Wrong!”

Gothel paused, suddenly unable to see Cassandra through her own shadows. “You were training me for this day!” 

Gothel whirled around, and saw Cassandra leap off the top of the Garnet, her dagger raised high. She bore down on her, dagger tip poised to rip out Gothel’s heart-

And at the last, absolute last moment, she flipped the dagger around, changing her aim to hit Gothel with the opposite side on her head. The witch screamed-and then collapsed, the shadows disappearing, the others in the room released from her control.

“Lance,” Cassandra said, her voice filled with pride. “Restrain her. We won’t have to worry about her any longer.”

She turned to Varian. “Kid, if you would?” She motioned to the pile of machinery, and Varian smiled widely, rushing to it.

“Alright, everyone.” He said, pushing a few buttons. He slid the goggles down over his eyes. “Let’s get weird.”

He flicked a button, and the machine whirred loudly, the Black Garnet sparking in response. 

Lance gasped. “Look!”

The shadows-the natural shadows of the room-were being pulled to the Garnet like water draining out of a tub. They gathered around it, and the Garnet shook. The lights popped on the side of the walls, and Varian grinned. 

The Black Garnet rumbled, and shot a beam of pure black energy through the roof and to the sky. Red lightning crackled, the clouds swirling ominously.

Cassandra smiled.

*** *** ***

“Do you guys hear that?” Eugene paused, and Maximus nearly ran over him.

Pascal tensed. “I don’t think so. Max?”

Maximus’ ears flicked, and he frowned. “Maybe it was nothing.”

As if to humiliate him, a herd of teal deer suddenly burst from the brush, fleeing something. Eugene jumped out of the way, startled. “What scared them?”

He got his answer a second later when a bug monster burst from the bushes as well, coming towards them with a roar. Eugene tensed-but it ran right past them, paying them no mind. 

“What...what was that about?” Pascal said breathlessly.

Maximus’ ears flicked again. “I...feel something. We should run!” He shook his head. “No, we have to get Rapunzel. Then run!”

“Maximus, what is it?” Eugene asked.

Maximus snorted. “A bad thing. Hurry!”

*** *** ***

“Amazing!” Varian said. “The Garnet is siphoning energy at a near exponential rate! Yet the output is still building!”

“What does that mean?” Cassandra asked.

“It means things are going to get very interesting.” Varian said, his goggles glinting with a slightly menacing look. 

*** *** ***

“Is it just me, or is it really cold?” Pascal asked. 

Eugene opened his mouth, and then paused when suddenly something white floated down to him. “It’s snowing?”

“That’s impossible,” Pascal said. “It never snows in the Whispering Woods.”

As if flipping a switch, the wind howled, and suddenly the three were standing in a blizzard. Eugene stumbled. “What’s happening?!”

“The bad thing!” Maximus shouted. 

The sky crackled with red lightning. “We can’t stay here!” Pascal said. “Maximus, do you sense Rapunzel?!”

Maximus paused, concentrating, and his horn shimmered. He perked up, and jerked his head vaguely. “There! She’s over there!” 

He led them to a glass temple, and Eugene banged on the closed up entrance. “Come on, come on!” He gritted his teeth. “Ugh, I hate snow! This would be a great time for my powers to come back!”

“Wait!” Maximus said. “I know this, I think I can…” Carefully, he touched his horn to the door, and the door lit up with blue runes. A trapdoor opened up beneath them, nearly sending them falling in. 

They didn’t hesitate, running in. They skidded to a stop at the end of a large hallway. Eugene gasped. “Rapunzel!”

Rapunzel was lying on some kind of table, her flower beside her. “Rapunzel?!” Eugene asked again, but she didn’t even move.

“Hang on,” Maximus said. “I think I can reach her.” He closed his eyes, and his horn lit up.

“Eugene?!” Pascal said, grabbing his friend’s arm.

Eugene whirled around, and his heart dropped, seeing the dark hall before them light up with red eyes. Something screamed at them.

“Uh oh.” Eugene said.

*** *** ***

Rapunzel blinked when the world around her flickered. “The Horde is hurting us,” Light Hope said, her voice distorted. “Balance Etheria.”

“Light Hope?” Rapunzel asked, and Light Hope flickered as well. “Light Hope, come back! I don’t know what to do!”

“Rapunzel?” A new voice asked, and Rapunzel jerked up. “Rapunzel!”

The white stallion from before suddenly flickered into view, and Rapunzel stumbled back, shocked. “Horsey?”

“Once again, it’s Maximus!” The horse declared. 

“You can talk?!” Rapunzel asked shrilly.

“Yes, I can talk, but we-” Maximus looked bored.

“You can talk!” Rapunzel gasped. 

Maximus blustered. “I can see now why you’re friends with Pascal and Eugene. They need your help, which is why I’m here! So...where’s the exit?”

“I-I dunno,” Rapunzel admitted. “Light Hope disappeared, and I...I don’t know if I should go.” 

“What? Why?” Maximus looked surprised.

“Light Hope said if I leave, I’ll only make things worse,” Rapunzel said. “And she’s right. Everyone will be better off if I just stayed away. It’s…” She sighed miserably. “It’s for the greater good.” 

Maximus snorted. “That’s stupid.”

“What?” Rapunzel blinked. “No, it’s not.”

“Rapunzel, I’ve had the ability to form complex thoughts for, like, a week, and even I know you can’t help by hiding,” Maximus said. “Where would all the horses I freed be if I had just sat in a pasture and moped?”

“Wait, you did what?” Rapunzel asked, and then shook her head. “And I’m not moping.”

Maximus tilted his head. 

“I’m not!” Rapunzel said. “I hurt people. I ruined my friend’s lives!”

“If that’s true, then why are Pascal and Eugene trying to rescue you?” Maximus asked. 

“They...they’re here?” Rapunzel asked.

Maximus nodded. “They’re risking their lives, not because you’re the Sundrop, but because you’re their friend. What good is all your power if you don’t use it to help the people you love?”

Rapunzel was quiet for a long moment, thinking hard. Guilt still made a nest in her heart, and she still had no idea how to get rid of it. But...she couldn’t let it stop her. Not now. 

“I’m not Mara,” Rapunzel said. “I’m not the Sundrops of the past. I didn’t do this to fulfill some destiny, I became the Sundrop to help others. My attachments, my friends, are a part of who I am.”

“So,” Maximus looked pleased. “Are you staying, or going?”

Rapunzel smiled. “Let’s go.”

*** *** ***

Rapunzel blinked open her eyes to chaos. 

Pascal was frantically shooting arrows at metal spiders that kept coming, and Eugene was using a spare rock he had found. He looked a bit silly, but it was all he had. 

“Guys?” Rapunzel asked hesitantly.

Eugene glanced back at her and smiled, looking relieved. “Rapunzel! You’re back!” 

“Spiders!” Pascal shouted.

Rapunzel stood up, holding the flower tightly. “For the honor of Der Sonne!”

Before her hair even finished growing, it lit up, and the Sundrop sent a powerful beam of light straight into one of the spiders. It collapsed instantly, and the other spiders scurried back in alarm. 

Pascal cheered, and Maximus whinnied in victory. “Not bad, Blondie,” Eugene grinned. “Not bad.”

*** *** ***

The blizzard had no effect on Maximus, even with three passengers on his back. 

He leapt, spreading his wings and taking to the sky as if he had been doing so all his life. They rose above the violent clouds, and Pascal gasped. “Look!” He pointed. 

The clouds spread, a never ending sea of lightning and cold. “It’s not just the woods,” Eugene said. “It’s the whole world.”

Eugene gasped, going pale. “Corona! Max, hurry!”

*** *** ***

Cassandra looked out over her storm, red lightning crackled in victory. She shivered, partly from cold, partly from nerves, and partly from something she couldn’t identify.

“What do you think it’s doing?” Lance asked. 

“I don’t know.” Cassandra admitted.

A particularly large flash seemed to show her the entire Fright Zone, and the woods that lay just beyond the border. She smiled.

“But I can work with this.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> one chapter left, and then book two! and i just realized yesterday that book two only provides me a buffer of three weeks, so i gotta speed my ass up on writing this series so woohoo


	13. The Battle of Corona

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> final chapter!!!! i love writing for angella

It was still icy and unpleasant up high, and the Sundrop tried to ignore the uncomfortable numbness in her fingers as she looped them through Maximus’ mane. 

Red lightning crackled, lighting up the sky in a bloody color that made her shiver. She craned her neck back, spotting familiar arching rocks just peeking over the clouds. “It’s coming from the Fright Zone!” She shouted. “Whatever’s happening, they’re causing it!”

Pascal looked down and gasped. A layer of ice was creeping through the Whispering Woods like a silent predator, swallowing up the usually vibrant colors. “The woods are freezing over! What do we do?!”

Eugene jerked harshly, gasping in pain from the red shudder, nearly falling off of Maximus. “We have to get home!” He managed to say. “We have to make sure Corona is alright.”

Maximus took this as an order to speed up, and speed up he did, dodging lightning with practiced ease in a race to reach Corona before the ice.

*** *** ***

“Cassandra, you gotta see this!” Lance called, and Cassandra pulled her eyes away from the storm to look at her comrade.

Lance was staring at one of the screens Varian had fixed with a look of amazement. “Tidal waves, firestorms, earthquakes...man, Etheria’s taking this hard. I mean, yay, for both of us, but wow!”

“The experiment has been more effective than I ever dreamed!” Varian said. “This proves my hypothesis correct! With the Black Garnet at two hundred percent power, the precarious equilibrium that governs all of Etheria’s natural functions has been thrown into complete and utter chaos! No doubt because of the other Runestones-ah!” 

Varian jerked to a stop from his frantic rushing between experiments when Cassandra grabbed the back of his shirt. “Translate.” She ordered.

Varian had the gall to roll his eyes. “By making the Black Garnet more powerful, we’ve sapped power from the other royal’s Runestones, upsetting the balance and making the weather go cuckoo.”

“Wait-” Cassandra let go, and Varian stumbled forward clumsily. “What did you say about the other royals being less powerful?”

“Yeah! Basically. Well, not Lance. He doesn’t have a connection to the Black Garnet, if he ever did.” Varian shrugged.

“Hm,” Cassandra said. “And how would we make this effect permanent?”

“Well…” Varian paused. “Due to the connected nature of the Runestones, it’s likely that destroying one in some form could lead to a collapse of the system. It’s like a stack of dominoes.”

“Destroy a Runestone?” Cassandra said, and Varian nodded. A smile spread across her face, and she turned back to Lance. “Get a strike team together. We’re going to Corona.”

“Corona? Why?” Lance asked. 

“Because we’re going to take out their Runestone,” Cassandra said. “And with the Whispering Woods frozen over, there’s nothing there to stop us.”

“Take it out?” Varian said. “I, uh…”

Cassandra looked at him sideways. “What? Got a problem with that?”

“It sounds like an attack.” Varian muttered.

Cassandra blinked. “Yes. That’s what a strike team is.”

“I just…” He wrung his hands, looking sheepish. Emily beeped in a comforting manner, and nudged him.

“What’s-wait…” Cassandra sighed. “You can’t seriously tell me you're concerned about them.”

“I’m not.” Varian said. He was a bad liar, though.

“Kid,” Cassandra shook her head. “This is war. That’s how it goes. If we don’t attack them, they’ll attack us. And then what do you think they’ll do if they find you here, helping us?”

Varian pushed his goggles down. 

“Besides,” Cassandra said, adding a bit of forced softness to her voice. “They left you. You shouldn’t be worried about them.”

“Still…” Varian said, and then paused. “Just...don’t kill them?”

“I’m not going to make promises I can’t keep.” Cassandra said. _You should have done the same, Rapunzel._

“At least say you won’t go out of your way to kill them,” Varian amended desperately. “Please? They...they can be useful!”

Cassandra sighed, long and irritated. She felt a headache coming on. “Fine. But if someone comes at me, I’m not gonna let them get me.”

She turned back to Lance. “Let’s go. We’re wasting time.”

*** *** ***

Angella had long given up trying to quell her worry for Eugene. 

Since he was old enough to do so, he was always making reckless decisions. It was in his nature, she supposed. Too much of Edmund. 

At first it had been a bit endearing, and it was easy to fix scraped knees and bruised heads. It was easy to sigh with fond exasperation when he then wiped his tears away and then rushed off to try his endeavor again with a slightly different approach, sometimes returning with a new minor injury until he overcame his obstacle.

And then Edmund had died, and Eugene’s nature became a danger. 

At some point, their clashing personalities became something she had just become used to, and Angella had accepted that she would simply constantly always worry about her son’s whereabouts unless he was right in front of her. Sometimes she cursed his teleporting powers-it made it too easy for him to slip out from under her watchful eye. 

She had accepted that she would always have a knot of anxiety in her stomach if he wasn’t at her side, even if she knew, logically, that he was in his room. Because she never could be sure, could she? Powerful as Angella was, omnipotence was not one of her talents. 

She accepted that they would probably never have a conversation longer than five minutes that didn’t devolve into shouting and hurled accusations of overprotectiveness or impulsivity. Eugene had Angella’s looks, yes, but every single fiber of his being was hard-wired to Edmund’s bull-headed, relentless nature. 

And she had accepted, somewhere deep in her heart, that they were going to lose the war, and the best she could do was pull herself back and guard her own kingdom so that maybe, just maybe, Corona could lock itself up and keep itself from the Horde’s grasp. 

Angella hated how that had become her strategy, and she knew Eugene would hate it too, but there were few options, and she refused to see her kingdom and the last of her family fall to a smoldering ruin.

And then Rapunzel had come along, and the anxiety both lessened and renewed, because now the Rebellion had a chance for the first time in years. Now they were no longer curled in a ball, merely trying to protect their important parts while the Horde bore down on them with little mercy. Now they had a chance to regroup, and go on the offensive.

And the anxiety renewed as well, because now there was a lot more to lose. 

Angella didn’t believe she had ever been so afraid as she had when she learned Eugene had been captured. She hadn’t been afraid for Edmund, because at the time she believed (stupidly) that it was a minor skirmish. She hadn’t had time to grow afraid before she received the news.

But with Eugene...Lord, she hadn’t even known it was possible to feel that terrified. 

And then he came back, and the truth spilled out, and Angella realized with a twist of sorrow that Eugene wasn’t a child anymore. Yes, he had grown up far too fast in a war that seemed endless and stale, and yes, he was still probably going to throw himself into battle, but she couldn’t allow her own fear to infect Eugene and trap him within the walls of the castle. 

But that did little to sooth her anxiety when faced with the red storm. 

She spread her wings, soaring up grandly to the Moonstone. She spread her arms, allowing its power to flow through her and push away at the storm. She raised her arms, and a beam of bright blue light shot straight into the clouds. 

A desperate beacon for her wayward son to come home.

*** *** ***

“Look!” Pascal pointed.

Eugene turned his head, and gasped at the blue light piercing the blackness like a sword. “That’s Corona!” Then he frowned. “A distress beacon!”

“Hang on.” Maximus twisted in the air, soaring towards the beacon. Out of the gloom, the bright glow of the Moonstone appeared, Queen Angella’s silhouette just barely visible beneath it.

Eugene was off of Maximus before the horse even touched down. Angella hugged him tightly, looking relieved, and Eugene didn’t squirm away. “What’s going on?” He asked.

“The elements are out of harmony,” Angella said grimly. “The Moonstone is using all its power to counteract the cloud of darkness. But it’s not enough. It’s taking nearly all my strength to maintain a connection with it.”

The Sundrop disappeared, and Rapunzel stepped forward. “That cloud is coming from the Fright Zone.”

“So what’s our plan?” Pascal asked. “We have a plan, right?”

There was a crackling sound, and Rapunzel turned to see a frozen tree break under its own weight and fall. She frowned. “The woods are frozen over. There’s nothing left to shield Corona from the Horde.” 

She turned to the others, her face grim. “We have to prepare for an attack.”

*** *** ***

“Our scouts reported seeing an entire Horde army in the woods,” Pascal said. “Moving towards us at top speed.”

Angella looked at the glowing war room table, the holographic model looking grim. “We must protect Corona at all costs. If the Moonstone is destroyed, there will be nothing left to stop the darkness.”

“Someone must have seen the distress beacon,” Pascal said. “Why didn’t anyone come?”

“The alliance is broken, and other royals have their own kingdoms to protect,” Rapunzel said, pacing up and down the war room. “No one’s coming, Pascal.”

“Someone’s come!” A guard burst into the room, their helmet askew. 

“Is it the royals?!” Pascal asked.

The guard stood aside, and Netossa and Spinnerella walked in, arm in arm with each other. “Oh,” Pascal said, and then forced a smile. “Spinnerella and Netossa! Thanks for coming, guys…”

Netossa frowned. “You still don’t know what we do, do you?”

Pascal smiled awkwardly. “Ah…”

“Seriously?!” Netossa shook her head. “It’s in the name! Net-tossa? Nets, I toss nets, okay?”

“Yes, darling,” Spinnerella put her arm around her wife. “You have beautiful nets.”

“At least you have powers,” Eugene huffed. “Which is more than I can say…” He shook his head. “It doesn’t matter.”

“Eugene, not only are you without your powers, you’re still glitching. It’s too dangerous.” Angella said.

Eugene frowned. “But mom-”

“Your mom’s right, Eugene,” Rapunzel said. “I don’t want any of you risking yourselves. The Sundrop can do this alone. This is what she’s for.”

“Rapunzel, there’s absolutely no way the Sundrop can take out an entire Horde army on her own!” Pascal said. 

Rapunzel stopped her pacing. “Then what good is she?!”

There was an awful moment of stunned silence, and Rapunzel’s head dropped. She left the war room before anyone could stop her, wandering the halls uselessly, her mind spinning. 

She finally came to a stop at the bridge to the Moonstone, biting wind whipping her brown hair around. Lightning flashed and she shivered.

“Blondie…” Rapunzel didn’t turn, but wasn’t surprised that Eugene and Pascal had followed her. “Are you alright?”

Rapunzel stared at the ground. “Cassandra will be leading the Horde when they attack. I have to face her. I can’t let her hurt anyone else.”

“What happened to you at the First Ones temple?” Eugene asked delicately.

“I…” Rapunzel bit her lip. “I saw Cassandra in there. I thought I could get through to her, but...all I did was push her farther to the side of evil.”

She rubbed her arms, feeling goosebumps on her skin. “Light Hope said that I’d endanger all my friends by coming back, and she was right. Everything that’s happening now is my fault.”

Rapunzel felt a hand on her shoulder, and turned to see Eugene smiling slightly. “You got his,” He pulled her into a tight hug, and Pascal joined. “And we have your back.”

Rapunzel allowed herself to smile, a bit warmer in spite of the cold. “Now come on,” Eugene said. “The Horde is coming. We have to be ready.”

*** *** ***

“Welcome to the Corona armory!” Eugene pushed open a door to a small room that was filled to near bursting with perfectly kept weapons and armor. “Well, not really, I’ve mostly just been stashing stuff here for a while, but still!”

“Dibs on arrows!” Pascal said, pushing Eugene aside. 

“Yeah, you’re welcome…” Eugene said, picking up a long spear, testing the weight.

“Eugene?” Angella seemed to materialize in the doorway, expression stern.

“Mom!” Eugene fumbled with the staff, hiding it behind his back. “How’d...you know we’d be here?”

She raised her eyebrow. “Did you really think I wouldn’t notice you stashing weapons?”

Eugene winced, and then sighed. “I’m sorry,” He said. “But I can’t just stand by while my home and friends are in danger. I have to do this.”

Angella sighed. “I know.”

“I know you’re mad-wait, what?” Eugene blinked. 

“I’ve been trying all these years to mold you into someone more like me,” Angella said. “But you’re too stubborn, hotheaded...brave. Like your father.”

She stretched out her hand, and a long golden staff appeared in her hand, a star-like emblem at the top of it. “This was your father’s staff,” She said, holding it out to Eugene. “And I think it’s time you had it.”

Eugene took the staff with an awed expression, as if it might disappear if he wasn’t careful. Then he broke into a wide grin, and threw his arms around his mother. Angella looked surprised, but then smiled, hugging him back tightly. Pascal’s lip quivered at the sight.

The castle rumbled, and Rapunzel scowled. “They’re here!”

She took the flower from her ear, and drew a deep breath. “For the honor of Der Sonne!”

*** *** ***

Tanks stood idly at the edge of the Corona lagoon, just waiting for the signal to charge. The Sundrop stared down at them, Eugene and Pascal at her side. 

“We got this, right?” Pascal nudged the Sundrop with a grin.

“Yeah,” The Sundrop said, unable to resist Pascal’s confidence. “Totally.”

“They’re gonna be sorry they ever tried to mess with Corona.” Eugene waved his staff threateningly. 

A cannon tilted, and shot out a single green shot, and it sailed with leisure towards the Moonstone. “Defend the castle.” The Sundrop said, and launched herself into the air towards the shot. She shot out a beam of light, and the shot richoted into the mountainside with an explosion.

The Sundrop landed in the shallow moat, creating a shockwave that shoved the tanks back. Instantly, skiffs poured out of the forest, the riders shooting at her with their lasers. No, not her-they went right past her as if she wasn’t a concern, racing for the castle. 

“Rapunzel!” Eugene said. The Moonstone dulled slightly, and Eugene winced painfully from the conjoining red shudder. 

“Go to her,” Angella said, taking flight to the Moonstone. “I’ll keep the Moonstone lit and the darkness away as long as I can.

“You heard the queen!” Maximus stomped, and Eugene and Pascal climbed onto him. “For the Rebellion!” He took flight, soaring down on the Horde army that crept ever closer. 

A skiff charged the Sundrop, but she gathered her hair, looping it around the mast and pulling. The skiff tilted, and the driver jumped off right before their ride hit the wall in a fiery explosion. Robots scuttled over the hills, shooting lasers at anything that moved and didn’t wear the Horde insignia. Which was mostly the Sundrop. 

One turned to the Sundrop, but an arrow pierced it. She looked up, grinning when she saw Eugene and Pascal on Maximus, bringing chaos and confusion down on the army from above. 

Eugene jumped down, driving the pointed end of the staff into a robot while Pascal shot arrow after arrow from his perch on Maximus. 

The Sundrop heard a hum, and turned to see a cannon laser headed straight for her. She managed to throw her hair out as a shield, but was still thrown across the moat roughly. She gasped, standing up shakily. She felt dizzy. 

She looked up, and felt nauseous.

Cassandra stood on stop of the tank, looking completely at ease. “Hey, Raps.”

“Cassandra,” The Sundrop said. “Surprised to see me?”

“Not really,” She shrugged. “It wouldn’t be that easy to get rid of you.” 

The Sundrop charged with a yell, but Cassandra easily dodged, even as the Sundrop’s fists made a dent in the tank. “You know,” Cassandra said. “I’m actually glad you made it out of there alive. Because now…” Her face turned mean, and she drew her dagger. “I can take you out myself.”

*** *** ***

Eugene swung the staff, knocking a Horde soldier off of the skiff that had been of Maximus’ tail earlier. The skiff wobbled, and Eugene jumped off just before it crashed into the mountainside. 

“Well, isn’t that nice?” Eugene glanced up, startled to see several skiffs in front of him. Lance looked down at him, arms crossed. “You have a funny stick! Not that that’s going to help you…”

There was a sudden howl of wind, and the skiffs were blown back as if swatted by an invisible hand. Lance shouted in surprise as Spinnerella touched down in front of Eugene, her long hair and cape billowing around her. 

Netossa sprang from the shadows, throwing what looked like a small ball at the skiffs. It exploded into a massive net, spreading and trapping Lance and his group. 

Netossa gestured grandly. “Nets!”

*** *** ***

The Sundrop and Cassandra fought, with the Sundrop mostly swinging and blasting wildly while Cassandra danced around her hits, occasionally swiping at her.

And she wouldn’t stop laughing. 

Cassandra sliced at the Sundrop’s arm, and she fell back with a pained cry, panting harshly. “Tired already?” Cassandra taunted. “I thought punching was the one thing you were supposed to be good at!”

“And I thought you were supposed to be quicker.” The Sundrop said. She swung out her hair, wrapping it around Cassandra’s wrist and yanking. She flew across the battlefield with a yelp, landing painfully on the rocky shore.

“Give it up,” The Sundrop said. “There’s no way you can win this.”

Cassandra laughed, hollow, and slowly stood up. “I already made it a lot farther than anyone thought I could.”

She charged, and the Sundrop prepared herself, but at the last possible moment, Cassandra changed her course, making a gash in the Sundrop’s side. The Sundrop cried out before she could stop herself.

“You on the other hand!” Cassandra grinned. “You’re not looking so good!”

The Sundrop aimed a beam of light at her, but Cassandra dodged easily, still laughing. “This isn’t over!”

“Of course it’s not over!” Cassandra said, this time getting the Sundrop across the cheek. “It won’t be over until Corona is destroyed and the Rebellion has fallen! It won’t be over until darkness covers Etheria forever! And it won’t be over,” Cassandra’s voice was suddenly menacing. “Until I see the looks on your friends’ faces when they find out that you failed. That you were too weak to save them.”

The Sundrop _screamed_ and her hair lit up with a blinding glow. Cassandra’s eyes widened, but it was too late. The blast sent her over the cliffside, and she just barely managed to grab onto the ledge. 

The Sundrop went over to her, grabbing her by the front of her shirt and slamming her against the rock wall. “ENOUGH!” The Sundrop roared. “You lost, Cassandra.”

“You sure about that?” Cassandra asked, smiling.

The Sundrop heard a blast, and looked over to her right and gasped.

Tanks and skiffs fired endlessly on Corona. Robots scuttled around like ants, tearing the beautiful landscape apart, turning it to ash. Whatever Angella had been doing to protect the Moonstone failed, and it shuddered every time a blast hit it. 

“What?” Cassandra asked. “Did you really think it was about you?”

The dagger flashed, and the Sundrop managed to drop Cassandra before she gained a hole in her stomach. “That Runestone is your last defense, isn’t it?” Cassandra asked. 

The Sundrop sprinted towards the real battle, Cassandra’s laughs echoing in her mind.

*** *** ***

Eugene stabbed another robot and gasped for air, only to jolt upright when he saw the Moonstone glow a bright yellow before being hit by seemingly unending blows once again.

“No!” He stumbled, crying out in pain when the red pain stole his senses. He pushed through it, sprinting to the steps that led up to the Moonstone, awful scenarios playing in his mind.

He skidded to a stop, nearly falling off the steps when Lance stepped in front of him, a cruel smile on his face. “So where were we?” He asked, and then his grin grew. “Ah, right!”

*** *** ***

The Sundrop threw aside every Horde soldier that dared challenge her, looking around wildly for her friends. But in the chaos of battle, she couldn’t seem to find the,.

Something wrapped around her, and she shrieked as pain suddenly wracked her, the electric rope holding her tightly. More wrapped around her, and she fell to her knees, trying not to pass out. 

*** *** ***

Eugene winced as Lance slammed him into a rock, and then suddenly gasped. The Moonstone had gone dark. 

Red lightning crackled around it, and Eugene gritted his teeth as red light engulfed him. 

“Oh, cool!” Lance said, not seeming to notice Eugene’s expression of awful pain.

*** *** ***

The Black Garnet glowed with more power, and Varian frowned, pushing his goggles over his face.

He missed Ruddiger.

*** *** ***

The Sundrop’s vision was blurring when Cassandra approached her, her expression odd and stony. 

“Now,” Cassandra said, gently pushing some of the Sundrop’s blonde hair out of her face. “It’s over.”

*** *** ***

Eugene shouted, managing to throw Lance off of him despite the pain. Lance scowled, starting to charge.

Eugene paused, noticing the red light traveling up the staff. With a desperate cry, he lunged forward, shoving the star emblem into Lance’s chest. The Horde captain flew back and off the steps with a surprised cry, and Eugene slumped against the staff when the episode passed, panting.

Something rose up, and Eugene flinched, but then saw it was Maximus. “Come on!” The horse said, and Eugene leapt onto his back. Maximus whinnied, going to the Moonstone.

Eugene gasped, seeing Angella lying still against the wall, a robot creeping towards her. Without thinking, he threw himself off Maximus, driving the point of the staff as hard as he could into the robot. 

The robot tilted, and threw him off, but Maximus swooped down, kicking the robot into the moat far, far below.

Eugene stumbled to Angella, feeling panicked. “Mom!”

*** *** ***

Cassandra frowned when the breeze picked up, and then gasped when she was suddenly thrown back when Spinnerella touched down, looking concerned. Netossa threw down a net, creating a temporary dome of safety.

“Rapunzel?!” Pascal yanked the ropes off. “Rapunzel! Please don’t give up yet! We can still fix this.”

The Sundrop was quiet, looking around at the razen landscape of Corona. Fires burned and spread, and the sky was black as night with thick clouds that smelled of the Fright Zone. 

“I’m sorry.” The Sundrop said.

Pascal’s face fell, and tears welled up in his eyes. “It’s okay.” He said, closing his eyes and wrapping his arms around her tightly. 

The Sundrop closed her eyes, grateful for this tiny comfort in her final moments.

Then she heard the sound of rushing water.

The water around them churned, forming a massive tidal wave. A boat sat precariously at the top, and Stalyan was at the bow, her arms stretched out with an expression that could only be described as battle ready. 

“Adventure!” Sea Hawk declared from behind her, holding up a torch. 

“No fires.” Stalyan said.

“Sorry, my love.”

The wave crested, and Cassandra shrieked before the water swept her up, along with her tanks. “Tada!” Sea Hawk said, leaping down next to them, followed by Stalyan.

“Stalyan! Sea Hawk!” The Sundrop cried. 

“Yeah, sorry it took so long,” Stalyan tossed her hair. “The sea kinda sucked today.”

“Get up!” Cassandra commanded the soldiers, but it was hard for them to do so when vines suddenly wrapped around them. Tree blossomed, and Cassandra yelped as vines pinned her too and Fidella emerged from the forest, riding her vines with a big smile and a new flower crown. 

“I saw the distress beacon!” Fidella said. “Are you okay?”

The Sundrop smiled.

Cassandra managed to rise, pausing when she saw the Sundrop’s hair glowing with new power. She leapt into a lopsided tank, aiming the cannon at the dim Moonstone. She had a perfect shot. And one shot was all it would take.

It hit only slightly below, and the pillar holding the Moonstone began to crumble. “No!” The Sundrop shouted, running, but there was no way she could get there in time, and even if she could, what could she do?

Ice suddenly raced up the pillar, holding it in place. Big spikes off ice burst from the ground, throwing tanks one by one. Cassandra’s eyes widened, and she jumped off of her’s right before she went flying. 

Keira and Catalina rode in together on an ice sheet, their expression’s comically serious. “I hope we’re not too late.” Keira said. 

“No,” The Sundrop said. “You’re right on time.”

She turned to Cassandra, who suddenly looked very uncertain. She raised her flower high, and it sparkled. “For Etheria!”

*** *** ***

Eugene squinted when light burst from the Sundrop, relieved to see the others. He almost laughed. Never in his life did he think he would be glad to see Stalyan.

“Eugene?” He whirled around to see Angella sitting up, looking pained but alive.

“Mom!” He cried, rushing to her and hugging her tightly. He blinked tears, shaky with relief. 

A bright glow suddenly surrounded the Moonstone, and it lit up blue again. Eugene blinked in shock, and then again when the Moonstone suddenly sent out a wave of light, chasing away the shadowy clouds to reveal the bright sun and sky again. 

Eugene blinked in shock one last time when his own body lit up in a purple glow, and he grinned, snapping his fingers. Sparks flew out, painlessly and easily. He laughed.

“Go,” Angella smiled. “Help them.”

*** *** ***

Eugene reappeared next to the Sundrop with a flash of light and a grin.

“Eugene! You can teleport!” Pascal said.

“What’d I miss?” Eugene asked. 

“The royals are united,” The Sundrop said. “This is how it’s supposed to be.”

“So…” Stalyan smiled slightly. “Are we gonna kick their butt or what?”

“Yeah, really, this is taking forever!” Keira said.

The Sundrop smiled widely, and with a battle cry, the Royal Alliance charged the Horde, ready for battle. They fought in almost perfection unison, as if they had been doing so all their lives. Stalyan would attack, and Fidella would block soldiers from her. Keira and Catalina created an ice spike, and Spinnerella shattered it, sending a hailstorm on the enemy. Netossa would hand Eugene several net balls, and he would blink in and out of the battle, tying up soldiers and their armory. Pascal sat atop of Maximus, never seeming to miss his mark.

Sea Hawk even got to set his boat on fire.

The Sundrop raised her flower, and a powerful glow suddenly rose from it, seeming to dim the sun itself. A wave of sunlight spread out from her, sweeping away the army and Cassandra, who shrieked curses. 

“Retreat!” A Horde soldier wailed, and the army began to flee.

The royal cheered at their victory, and even with Cassandra’s furious glare as she fled with her army, the Sundrop felt her heart swell with joy.

“Rapunzel,” Pascal said. “It’s over. You did it!”

“And the royals are finally united!” Eugene added. “We did it!”

“That is how it’s done in the sea!” Stalyan declared victoriously. She even allowed Sea Hawk to put his arm around her and kiss her cheek.

“Onto the next!” Netossa said, kissing her wife with a giddy smile. 

“We did things!” Keira said excitedly. “Together!”

Angella swooped down, an expression of immense relief on her face, and the royals bowed respectfully. Eugene had no time for such formalities, however, rushing up to his mother and practically tackling her in a hug. 

Angella offered her hand to the Sundrop, and the Sundrop stepped back, startled-only to be shoved into the tight hug by Bow, and Maximus whinnied.

“Thank you.” Angella said softly.

Rapunzel smiled widely, feeling tears of happiness prick at the edges of her eyes slightly, surrounded by her friends and family, at home.

*** *** *** 

Cassandra walked stiffly to Hector’s throne, refusing to look up at him. She was flanked by Varian and Lance, but it gave her little comfort.

“Force Captain,” Hector said. “It seems your experiment has failed.”

“It was-” Varian coughed. “A-A huge success! We know more about First Ones tech than ever before. This is just the beginning!”

“I got us closer to conquering Corona than anyone else ever has,” Cassandra said. “Not to mention the Whispering Woods is still in ruins. Etheria is our’s for the taking.”

Hector stood up, and he dwarfed Cassandra. He walked up to her, his yellow eyes unreadable. 

Cassandra did not back away.

“Very well, Force Captain Cassandra,” Hector said after what seemed like years of silence. “You will have other chances to prove your worth to me...as my second in command.”

Cassandra looked to Lance, who nodded at her, and then to Varian, who looked a mix of surprised and scared, but also smiled at her.

Cassandra looked Hector dead in his yellow eyes, holding his gaze in her own green-gray ones.

And she smiled.

This was only the beginning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so here we go! last chapter of this book! the next book in the series will be up wednesday, and i had waaaaaaaaay to much fun wiritng it :))))
> 
> i hope yall enjoyed this, and I'll see you then!!!

**Author's Note:**

> come quote the ending of the heart pt 2 with me at my tumblr!  
> https://www.tumblr.com/blog/toadintheroad


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